- Date
- May 24, 1994, 14:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Antonito, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6695KSchweizer G-164B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940524012309A
- Case key
- 19070
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 compensation for wind conditions. A factor was the gusty crosswind and the pilot inadvertently becoming lost.
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 pilot refueled in trinidad, CO, programmed his global positioning system (GPS) receiver for center, CO, and took off. The GPS radio had been 'very accurate' during the flight but when it indicated the airplane had arrived at center, the pilot was unable to locate the airport. With insufficient fuel remaining to fly to another airport, the pilot elected to make a precautionary landing on a gravel road. The road was oriented to the south-southwest and the wind was from the south at 15 mph with gusts to 25 mph. During the landing roll, a wind gust caused the airplane to drift off the right side of the road. The right main landing gear was torn off when it struck a large rock. The airplane groundlooped to the right, and came to rest on its nose and left wing tip. The accident site was about 50 miles south of center and 80 miles west of trinidad. The pilot said he departed trinidad with 80 gallons of fuel, and was unfamiliar with the area.
Factual narrative
On May 24, 1994, approximately 1400 mountain daylight time, N6695K, a Schweizer G-164B, was substantially damaged during a precautionary landing near Antonito, Colorado. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight.
The following is based on the pilot/operator report and a verbal report the pilot gave to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector. The pilot refueled at Trinidad, Colorado, programmed his Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, and took off for Center, Colorado, at 1330. The GPS had been "very accurate" during the flight but when it indicated the airplane had arrived at Center, the pilot was unable to locate the airport. With insufficient fuel remaining to fly to Alamosa, the pilot decided to make a precautionary landing on a gravel road. The road was oriented to the south-southwest, and the wind was from the south at 15 miles per hour (MPH) with gusts to 25 MPH. During the landing roll, a wind gust was encountered and the airplane drifted off the right side of the road. The right main landing gear was torn off when it struck a large rock, the airplane groundlooped to the right, and came to rest on its nose and left wing tip.
According to a Conejos deputy sheriff, the road the pilot landed on was 5 miles south of Antonito. According to the Denver Sectional Chart, Antonito is about 50 miles south of Center, and 80 miles west of Trinidad. The pilot indicated he departed Trinidad with 80 gallons of fuel, and was unfamiliar with the area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6695K
- Reported as
- Schweizer G-164B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 425B
- Engine
- P&W R-1340-AN-1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Stewart, Edward W & Shirley M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- TAD · Trinidad, CO
- Destination
- 1V8 · Center, 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,900 total · 15 in this make and model · 3,750 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 225° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
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 N6695K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.