- Date
- March 29, 1991, 11:25 local (18:25 UTC)
- Place
- Cortez, CO
- Injuries
- 5 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3851CCessna 421C
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910329007879A
- Case key
- 18018
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 improper IFR procedures. Factors were: the existing weather conditions and the pilot's failure to obtain a preflight briefing.
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 flight departed without a flight plan or weather brief. En route deteriorating weather was encountered and an IFR flight plan was filed to a revised destination. Clearance was received for a VOR approach and the pilot was advised of 1/2 mile visibility in snow and fog. A missed approach was reported over the UNICOM frequency. Impact occurred with a heading of about 170 degrees at 7,700 feet MSL in mountainous terrain on the 173 degree radial, 7.3 miles from the VOR. The inbound course to the final approach fix was 170 degrees with an inbound final approach course of 196 degrees. Airport elevation was 5,914 feet MSL. The airport was located on the 196 degree radial, 5.5 miles from the VOR final approach fix. The VOR approach to runway 21 called for a missed approach to be executed at 5.5 DME from the VOR and a minimum descent altitude of 6,600 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3851C
- Reported as
- Cessna 421C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421C0119
- Engine
- Continental GTSIO-520-L, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- George Mehl
- Registered owner
- George Mehl
- Departed
- TUS · Tucson, AZ
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CEZ · Cortez-Montezuma County, runway 21, 7,105 × 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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 530 total · 40 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 12 knots, gusting 25
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.