- Date
- December 22, 1992, 20:22 local (Dec 23, 1992, 03:22 UTC)
- Place
- Golden, CO
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N81TRRockwell 690C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921222051069A
- Case key
- 18243
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 flying the aircraft beyond the design maneuvering speed and exceeding the design stress limits. A factor was: clear air turbulence.
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
While in a descent for arrival at the destination airport, the aircraft sustained structural failure with the right outer wing, horizontal stabilizer, and vertical stabilizer separating from the aircraft. The aircraft impacted approximately 10 miles from the planned destination. According to radar data and other research, the descent was conducted at vne and known severe turbulence was present in the area at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81TR
- Reported as
- Rockwell 690C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11690
- Airframe hours
- 7,768
- Engine
- Garrett TPE-33-1254, 715 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Casper Air Service
- Registered owner
- Casper Air Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · November 25, 1992 · 32 hours before
- Departed
- RIL · Rifle, CO
- Destination
- DEN · Denver, 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
- 30
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,400 total · 910 in this make and model · 5,280 as pilot in command · 183 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 260° at 30 knots, gusting 45
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BJC, 10 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.
Other investigations on N81TR · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.