- Date
- February 27, 1990, 19:47 local (Feb 28, 1990, 02:47 UTC)
- Place
- Denver, CO
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N820FECessna 208A
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 2, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900227002919A
- Case key
- 17823
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 accumulation of structural ice and subsequent stalling of the aircraft. The icing condition was a related factor.
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 Cessna 208A was on an IFR flt to haul freight from aspen to Denver, Colorado. Moderate to heavy icing conditions were forecast for the Denver area. While on an ILS rwy 36 apch, the acft encountered icing conditions. Subsequently, it entered a steep descent & crashed about 3 mi from the apch end of the rwy. No preimpact part failure of the acft was found during the investigation. The 1950 MST wx at the arpt was in part: 800' scattered, 1000' broken, vis 4 mi with frezzing drizzle & snow showers, temp 28 deg, dew point 25 deg.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N820FE
- Reported as
- Cessna 208A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2080043
- Airframe hours
- 3,227
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-114, 600 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- P. M. Air, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Federal Express
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 25, 1990 · 47 hours before
- Departed
- ASE · Aspen, CO
- Destination
- DEN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- DEN · Stapleton Intl, runway 36, 7,750 × 100 ft, concrete
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
- 53
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,800 total · 70 in this make and model · 3,345 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 30° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DEN, 4 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.