Beechcraft 58P N208DK

Summary

On 1 March 1995 at about 17:40 local time, a Beechcraft 58P registered N208DK was involved in an accident near Montrose, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 March 1995 at 17:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Montrose, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Montrose County Municipal (MTJ)

Coordinates

38.4906, -107.8708

Aircraft

Beechcraft 58P

Registration

N208DK

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Worth → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW95LA128

2 people were seriously injured.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE RESULTING IN A FORCED LANDING. THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE FACTORS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) WERE FORECAST FOR BOTH HIS DESTINATION, GUNNISON, CO AND HIS ALTERNATE, MONTROSE, CO. DURING FLIGHT HE DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD WINDS WERE STRONGER THAN FORECAST RESULTING IN INCREASED FUEL USAGE. HE DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO GUNNISON BASED ON INFLIGHT INFORMATION GIVEN TO HIM THAT VMC PREVAILED. ARRIVING IN GUNNISON, INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) EXISTED, AND THE PILOT MADE AN ILS APPROACH. THE APPROACH WAS MISSED AND HE DIVERTED TO HIS ALTERNATE, MONTROSE. EN ROUTE THE PILOT ADVISED ATC HE WAS LOW ON FUEL. HE CROSSFED THE LEFT ENGINE FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK BECAUSE THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY. THE PILOT MADE AN ILS APPROACH TO MONTROSE. AT DECISION HEIGHT, THE RUNWAY ENVIRONMENT WAS NOT IN SIGHT. BECAUSE OF THE CRITICAL FUEL STATE, POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND SURROUNDING HIGH TERRAIN, THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN A FIELD HE HAD SIGHTED. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IN MUD AND NOSED OVER. OCCASIONAL IFR CONDITIONS AND MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION FOR THE ACCIDENT VICINITY WERE FORECAST IN PERTINENT AIRMETS PRIOR TO AND DURING THE FLIGHT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.