Cessna 172RG N4834V

Summary

On 10 October 1995 at about 13:40 local time, a Cessna 172RG registered N4834V was involved in an accident near Bayfield, Colorado, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 October 1995 at 13:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Bayfield, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

37.2299, -107.5904

Aircraft

Cessna 172RG

Registration

N4834V

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Durango → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW96FA012

3 people died.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLEARANCE. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT DIVERTING ATTENTION WHILE LOOKING FOR GAME.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE TWO PASSENGERS HAD CHARTERED THE AIRPLANE AND PILOT TO GO LOOK FOR ELK IN THE MOUNTAINS. THE PILOT OF ANOTHER AIRPLANE, ALSO SEARCHING FOR ELK, SPOTTED THE BURNING WRECKAGE IN THE CARBONATE BASIN, ABOUT 1/2 MILE SOUTH OF MILLER MOUNTAIN, AT THE 11,130-FT LEVEL. HE REPORTED ENCOUNTERING SMOOTH FLYING CONDITIONS AT THE TIME. THE TOP 5 FEET OF A PINE TREE WAS FOUND SEVERED AND ITS BRANCHES WERE FOUND AT THE BASE OF THE TREE ALONG WITH PIECES OF PLEXIGLASS AND THE AIRPLANE'S PITOT TUBE. ANOTHER TREE, 63 FEET AWAY, HAD ITS TOP BENT OVER, THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED 135 FEET AWAY ON THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. THE LEADING EDGES OF BOTH WINGS BORE ACCORDION-TYPE COMPRESSION DAMAGE. THE CALCULATED RATE OF CLIMB CAPABILITY, AT THE COMPUTED DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 10,720 FEET, WAS 340 FEET PER MINUTE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.