# NTSB FTW95LA113: Piper PA-32-300, N41345, Howard, CO, February 8, 1995 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 8, 1995, 14:45 local (21:45 UTC) - Place: Howard, CO - Coordinates: 38.449249, -105.839599 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.4492&lon=-105.8396&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal, 1 minor - Status: Completed, report July 24, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 19352 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW95LA113 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/19352/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=19352 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW95LA113 ## Probable cause THE PILOT'S FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT AN INADEQUATE ALTITUDE TO RECOVER FROM TURBULENCE/DOWNDRAFT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION BY THE PILOT, HIS INADEQUATE WEATHER EVALUATION, THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE HIGH/MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, climb - preflight planning/preparation - inadequate, pilot in command (contributing factor) - weather evaluation - inaccurate, pilot in command (contributing factor) - flight into known adverse weather - performed, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - turbulence in clouds (contributing factor) - weather condition - turbulence,terrain induced (contributing factor) - weather condition - downdraft (contributing factor) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - altitude - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - terrain condition - mountainous/hilly (contributing factor) - terrain condition - snow covered ## Analysis THE FLIGHT DEPARTED A 7489' MSL ELEVATION AIRPORT WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN. THE WEATHER FOR DEPARTURE WAS OVERCAST WITH THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAIN PEAKS OBSCURED BY CLOUDS. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB THROUGH ABOUT 15,000' MSL IN CLOUDS, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE AND BEGAN TO LOSE ALTITUDE AT A RATE OF ABOUT 2500'/MINUTE. THE PASSENGER SAID THEY EMERGED FROM CLOUD BASES AT ABOUT 12,000' MSL, AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON A FROZEN LAKE AT ABOUT 11,800'MSL. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED AT THE EDGE OF THE LAKE AND CAME TO REST ON THE LAKE WITH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. THE ELT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY (BUT THE WEATHER WAS UNFAVORABLE FOR RESCUE BY AIR). BOTH OCCUPANTS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND SPENT THE 1ST NIGHT IN THE AIRCRAFT. THEY WERE LIGHTLY DRESSED AND HAD NO SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT. THE NEXT DAY THEY ATTEMPTED TO WALK OUT. DURING THE DAY, THE PILOT LOST A SHOE AND BECAME INCREASINGLY DISORIENTED. THEY DECIDED FOR THE PASSENGER TO GO ON AND BRING BACK RESCUERS. THE PASSENGER SPENT THE 2ND NIGHT UNDER AN OVERHANG AND FOUND RESCUERS ON THE MORNING OF THE 3RD DAY. WHEN THE RESCUERS REACHED THE PILOT, HE HAD EXPIRED FROM HYPOTHERMIA. THE PASSENGER, WHO WAS A PILOT, STATED THERE WAS NO PREIMPACT AIRCRAFT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. ## Factual narrative On February 8, 1995, about 1445 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-32-300, N41345, was destroyed during a forced landing near Howard, Colorado. The airplane was reported missing at 2016 and was found February 10, 1995, about 1400. The pilot and pilot rated passenger received minor injuries; however, the pilot died prior to being rescued due to hypothermia. The flight was an on-demand air taxi operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 135, and was transporting a corpse. No flight plan was filed and instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. According to the passenger, the flight departed Salida about 1430 and was in a climb to clear the 14,000 plus feet above mean sea level (msl) Sangre De Cristo mountains south of Salida, and was in the clouds at 15,000 feet msl when turbulence was encountered. While in a climb configuration, the aircraft was descending about 2,500 feet per minute. The passenger said they emerged from the base of the clouds at about 12,000 feet msl and the pilot attempted to land on a frozen lake at 11,800 feet msl. The passenger thought the engine and left wing came off following touchdown and the left main landing gear came up through the cockpit striking both he and the pilot. To his best recollection, the passenger said he thought the accident occurred about 1445. In providing an overview of post crash survival, the passenger said they were both in relatively good condition, but lightly dressed, and spent the night of February 8, 1995, in the aircraft. They started to walk out on February 9th. According to the passenger, progress was slow due to high winds and deep snow. By mid afternoon, the pilot lost a shoe and was becoming increasingly disoriented. According to the passenger, they decided for him to go on ahead and bring rescuers back. He said that he spent the night of February 9th under an overhang, and met rescuers on the 10th. By the time rescuers found the pilot, he had expired. The medical examiner attributed the cause of death to hypothermia. According to information provided by the persons who recovered the aircraft, the accident site revealed evidence that during the impact sequence, the left wing separated remaining attached by control cables, and the left main landing gear assembly penetrated the cockpit area. The engine remained partially attached and folded under the aircraft. No evidence was found of preimpact failure or malfunction and the passenger said there were no aircraft problems. The passenger stated that weather at takeoff from Salida was about 12,000 overcast with the tops of the surrounding mountain peaks obscured by clouds. The planned route after departing Salida was over Alamosa, Colorado, Farmington, New Mexico, and into Cortez, Colorado, from the south. Except for the departure area, weather along this proposed route was visual conditions. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N41345](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N41345-2014-10-06), registration cancelled 2014-10-06, S/N 32-7440084, built 1974 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-32-300 - Registry model: [Piper PA-32-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (registry code 7103212) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming TI0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (registry code 41533, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 32-7440084 - Airframe hours: 3590 - Engines: LYCOMING IO-540-K1G5 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Part 135 - Registered owner: Salida Air Service - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, August 10, 1994, 80 hours before - Departed: 0V2, SALIDA, CO - Destination: CEZ, CORTEZ, CO ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 39; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 2,191 total, 1,075 in this make and model, 2,088 as pilot in command, 45 in the last 90 days, 20 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day - Visibility: 1.25 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 900 ft overcast - Temperature: 27 °F, dew point 25 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: GUC, 50 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19950208003179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950208003179A), Feb 8, 1995: Piper PA32300, Howard, CO, Destroyed, 1 fatal. Downdraft on illegal climb through clouds. Broke out. Stalled onto frozen lake. Pilot froze. Passenger pilot rescued ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 7, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=19352. 159 KB in all. - Supplement e (item 1, PDF, 2 pages, 143 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=1478059&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Supplement%20E-Master.pdf - Passenger statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 16 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=1478061&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Passenger%20Statement-Master.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.