Piper PA-31T N82290

Summary

On 6 January 1989 at about 20:07 local time, a Piper PA-31T registered N82290, operated by Cummins Power Inc, was involved in an accident near Craig, Colorado, United States. 6 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 January 1989 at 20:07

Classification

Accident

Location

Craig, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Craig-Moffat (CAG)

Coordinates

40.5205, -107.5492

Aircraft

Piper PA-31T

Registration

N82290

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Cummins Power Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Englewood

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN89LA058

Nobody was injured.

UNSUITABLE TERRAIN (RUNWAY CONDITION) SELECTED BY THE PILOT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, INADEQUATE REMOVAL OF SNOW FROM THE RUNWAY BY AIRPORT PERSONNEL, UNEVEN SNOW COVERED RUNWAY, LACK OF VISUAL PERCEPTION BY THE PILOT, AND SNOWBANKS BESIDE THE RUNWAY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT REQUESTED THE SNOW COVERED RWY BE REPLOWED BEFORE HE TOOK OFF. HE RPRTD THAT AFTERWARD, HE SAW NO SNOW RIDGES OR EVIDENCE OF UNEVEN PLOWING & CONCLUDED THE 'RUNWAY DEMARCATION WAS ADEQUATE FOR TAKEOFF.' HE SAID THAT DRG TAKEOFF, AT ABOUT 80 KTS, HE FELT THE LEFT GEAR DRAG AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO SWERVE LEFT. HE CORRECTED WITH RUDDER & THE AIRPLANE SWERVED TO THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE RWY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE & IT CONTINUED INTO A SNOWBANK & WAS DAMAGED. RPRTDLY, THE ACFT SWERVED AFTER ENCOUNTERING A 'SNOWRIDGE' LEFT BY THE SNOWPLOW. NO PRE-ACDNT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS RPRTD.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.