Cessna 172RG N9633B

Summary

On 6 August 1993 at about 19:00 local time, a Cessna 172RG registered N9633B was involved in an accident near Salida, Colorado, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 August 1993 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Salida, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

38.5292, -105.9994

Aircraft

Cessna 172RG

Registration

N9633B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Garden City → Gunnison

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW93LA231

3 people were seriously injured.

THE CLIMB CAPABILITY OF THE AIRPLANE BEING EXCEEDED AND THE PILOT'S DECISION TO TURN INTO THE RISING TERRAIN. A FACTOR WAS THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT STATED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS ROUTINE UP TO THE POINT THAT HE DECIDED TO EXECUTE A 360 DEGREE CLIMBING TURN IN ORDER TO GAIN MORE ALTITUDE TO CLEAR A MOUNTAIN PASS AT 10,500 FEET. HE SAID HE STARTED THE RIGHT TURN TO CLIMB AND THAT WAS THE LAST HE REMEMBERED. WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE TURN RIGHT INTO RISING TERRAIN AND TREES. THEY THEN HEARD THE AIRPLANE IMPACT THE TREES AND THE GROUND. THE PILOT AND THE WITNESSES STATED THAT THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY. THE TEMPERATURE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE ELEVATION WAS 65 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS 14,300 FEET. A LEFT TURN WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE AIRPLANE TOWARD DESCENDING TERRAIN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.