Piper PA-28-181 N8359B

Summary

On 22 March 1985 at about 03:20 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N8359B, operated by John M. Wyland, was involved in an accident near Vail, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

22 March 1985 at 03:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Vail, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.6407, -106.3899

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N8359B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

John M. Wyland

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Morgan → Eagle

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DEN85FA102

2 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT DID NOT OBTAIN A WX BRIEFING, FILE A FLIGHT PLAN OR REFUEL THE ACFT PRIOR TO DEPARTING FOR EAGLE COLORADO. THE ACFT DEPARTED AT 1800 UNDER VFR COND. THE PLT REPORTED OVER MINTURN CO AT 2019. WITNESSES AT VAIL CO STATED THAT THE WX COND WERE POOR FROM 2000 TO 2045 WITH HEAVY WET SNOW FALLING AND VISIBILITY OF 100 FT OR LESS. ONE CALLED IT A BLIZZARD. ANOTHER WITNESS SAW A PLANE ABOUT THIS TIME AT LOW ALT JUST OVER THE RIDGE BEING BURRETED BY THE WWND AND LABORING AT HIGH POWER. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACC. ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE THE ACC THE PLT HAD REQUESTED WX BY RADIO. THE WX THEN WAS REPORTED AS CEILINGS LOWERING WITH MT TOPS OBSCURED, WX DETERIORATING. THE FLT ACKNOWLEDGED THE REPORT AT 1920. HE REQUESTED WX AGAIN AT 2019. THE EAGLE FSS GAVE THE WX FOR EAGLE AND THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED. THERE WERE NO FURTHER RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PLT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.