- Date
- April 9, 1989, 16:36 local (22:36 UTC)
- Place
- Aspen, CO
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6812RCessna T210F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890409006779A
- Case key
- 17586
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The engine falure due to undetermined reasons and the pilot's misjudgement of the wind conditions which resulted in the attempt to glide to the runway. The pilot also failed to maintain adequate airspeed during the glide which resulted in a stall.
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
The plt was returning to Aspen after a flt of aprx 1.5 hrs. He had radioed the control twr while on base leg to rwy 33 and reported the engine had failed. The plt attempted to glide to the rwy but crashed about 1 mile southeast. A post crash fire destroyed the airplane. The engine was operationally tested and found to be capable of normal operation. The wind at the time of the accident was blowing from the northwest at 20 KTS with gusts to 30 KTS. Witnesses near the accident site stated that the airplane 'stalled out' at a low altitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6812R
- Reported as
- Cessna T210F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T210-0212
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kirk, Rodney
- Registered owner
- Rodney Kirk
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ASE
- Airport
- ASE · Pitkin County, runway 33, 7,003 × 100 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 400 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ASE, 2 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.