- Date
- September 4, 1992, 19:20 local (Sep 5, 1992, 01:20 UTC)
- Place
- Steamboat Sprin, CO
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N12GGBeech E-55
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920904035249A
- Case key
- 18162
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 becoming spatially disoriented and losing control of the airplane. Factors were: the pilot's disregard of the preflight weather briefing, his intentional VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, his lack of recent instrument time, and 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
The instrument rated pilot obtained a weather briefing and was told VFR flight was not recommended due to a line of thunderstorms between his departure point and destination, and a convective SIGMET had been issued. Additionally, flight precautions had been posted for mountain obscurement, light to moderate mixed to clear icing, and occasional light to moderate turbulence. The pilot did not file a flight plan and departed. Hunters reported seeing a low flying twin engine airplane circle the area, then they heard the impact. They said the weather consisted of a low ceiling, reduced visibility, fog, high winds, and rain that followed a snow shower. Records indicate the pilot did not fly between 1978 and 1991, and had recently been given a checkout in the accident airplane. Near vertical impact resulted in minimal wreckage scatter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N12GG
- Reported as
- Beech E-55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TE-779
- Airframe hours
- 5,101
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-C, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Rms Sales, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Rms Sales, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 19, 1991 · 409 hours before
- Departed
- 2V2 · Longmont, CO
- Destination
- SBS · Steamboat Sprin, CO
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,100 total · 350 in this make and model · 12 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Variable at 25 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 150 ft overcast
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.