- Date
- December 16, 1989, 13:44 local (20:44 UTC)
- Place
- Castle Rock, CO
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N477TBeech B35-A33
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891216051339A
- Case key
- 17813
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 pilot's loss of control as a result of spatial disorientation. Factors related to the accident were: the adverse weather conditions.
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
A VFR flight plan had been filed but, while enroute to denver it was changed to an IFR flight plan when the pilot realized the weather had deteriorated to instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot acknowledged a clearance for an ILS approach into centennial airport, englewood, Colorado, but during the approach he said that he was '...all turned around and was having trouble controlling the aircraft.' There was no further contact with the pilot and the aircraft failed to arrive at the airport. A search was conducted and the aircraft wreckage was found shortly after daybreak the following morning. Radar information confirmed that the pilot was flying in circles and had not established himself on the approach.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N477T
- Reported as
- Beech B35-A33
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CD-305
- Airframe hours
- 1,921
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-K3, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Leroy Evans Bates, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 3, 1989 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- DHT · Dalhart, TX
- Destination
- APA · Englewood, CO
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Airport
- APA · Centennial, runway 35R, 10,001 × 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
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,554 total · 63 in this make and model · 1,353 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft
- Temperature
- 18 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- APA, 8 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.