- Date
- February 2, 1988, 20:32 local (Feb 3, 1988, 03:32 UTC)
- Place
- Durango, CO
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5808Convair 580
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880202070689A
- Case key
- 17349
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
After making an IFR approach, the pilot made a go-around because he was blinded by the reflection of the landing/taxi lights against the falling snow. The pilot landed the aircraft after the second approach. The pilot said he sensed the aircraft drifting to the left and he tried to correct, but it collided with a snow bank. The investigation disclosed no evidence of aircraft hydroplaning or skidding. Airport management elected to delay plowing the runway for fear of it freezing over. Passengers claimed there was 2-3 inches of snow on top of a 3/4- inch layer of slush. Further investigation revealed that the runway lights were of various intensities because some unapproved light bulbs of different amperage were used. The runway was not equipped with centerline lighting. The painted white centerline stripe was covered by snow and slush.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5808
- Reported as
- Convair 580
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 348
- Airframe hours
- 53,781
- Engine
- Allison 501D-13-H, 3,750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Aspen Airways, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · January 23, 1988 · 66 hours before
- Departed
- DEN · Denver, CO
- Destination
- DRO · Durango, CO
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- DRO · La Plata County, runway 2, 9,200 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,342 total · 2,858 in this make and model · 4,211 as pilot in command · 221 in the last 90 days · 98 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft
- Temperature
- 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DRO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.