Cessna 170A N3944V

Summary

On 3 June 1990 at about 02:15 local time, a Cessna 170A registered N3944V was involved in an accident near Dillon, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 June 1990 at 02:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Dillon, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.6198, -106.0304

Aircraft

Cessna 170A

Registration

N3944V

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Moab → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN90FA120

1 person died.

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AND TERRAIN CONDITIONS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT DEPD FM ALASKA SVRL DAYS BEFORE THE ACDNT & WAS EN ROUTE TO CANTON, OHIO. ON THE DAY OF THE ACDNT, HE TOOK OFF FROM MOAB, UTAH & WAS FLWG INTERSTATE 70 (A MAJOR HWY). THERE WERE WITNESSES NR THE EISENHOWER TUNNEL (EVEL 11,145 FT) AT THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE IN COLORADO. THEY SAW AN ACFT THAT MATCHED THE DESCRIPTION OF N3944V. THEY RPRTD THE ACFT WAS EASTBOUND AT LOW ALT AS IT PASSED THE WEST ENTRANCE, THEN IT BEGAN CLIMBING. BEFORE REACHING THE DIVIDE, THE ACFT TURNEDABRUPTLY NORTH & WAS LAST SEEN FLYING UP A VALLEY. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT CRASHED ON A SNOW FIELD IN A BOWL AREA, SURROUNDED ON THE WEST, NORTH & EAST BY PEAKS & RIDGES. TERRAIN AROUND THE ACDNT SITE ROSE UPWARD TO 13,000 FT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE ACFT HAD IMPACTED IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. DURING IMPACT, THE LEADING EDGES OF THE WINGS WERE CRUSHED & THE EMPENNAGE HAD BROKEN ABOUT 4 FT AFT OF THE WINGS & HAD FOLDED AFT & RIGHT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE PLT HAD SURVIVED THE IMPACT, BUT DIED FROM COMPLICATIONS OF HYPOTHERMIA. HIS STUDENT PLT/MED CERT HAD BEEN ISSUED ON 4/24/86.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.