- Date
- April 27, 1990, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Leadville, CO
- Injuries
- 6 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8912NPiper PA-32C-300
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900427012109A
- Case key
- 17830
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
VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) by the pilot, and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude and clearance from mountainous terrain. Factors related to the accident were: the terrain and weather conditions, the pilot's overconfidence in his personal ability, his perceived pressure to complete the flight, and his lack of instrument experience.
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 rented N8912N to transport five passengers to Colorado for a singing competition. The passengers had not made alternate travel plans. The plt received a weather briefing, which indicated low cloud ceilings, moderate turbulence and icing along his planned route. He filed 10,500 ft as his cruising alt. Subsequently, the airplane collided with a 13,700 ft high mountain at about the 12,000 ft level. Weather at the accident site was IFR. The plt was not instrument rated.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8912N
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32C-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-40701
- Airframe hours
- 5,101
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wilson G. Henderson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 2, 1990 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- SLC · Salt Lake City, UT
- Destination
- COS · Colorado Spring, CO
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 392 total · 24 in this make and model · 366 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Observed at
- LXV, 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.