Piper PA-28-181 N39663

Summary

On 10 October 1998 at about 18:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N39663, operated by Air West Flying Club, was involved in an accident near Montrose, Colorado, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 October 1998 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Montrose, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N39663

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Air West Flying Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN99FA009

4 people died.

The pilot's improper inflight planning/decision. Factors were a reduction in the airplane's climb and turn capabilities, the aft c.g. limit being exceeded, and the pilot's lack of familiarity with the geographic area and his lack of experience in the airplane make and model.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The newly certificated private pilot and his wife took the pilot's father and sister for an airplane ride. Hunters heard an airplane flying in the valley, then heard a loud noise. Searchers were guided to the wreckage by the airplane's emergency locator transmitter. The airplane had collided with a large spruce tree while in a steep left bank, 60 feet above the ground, then slid 10 feet down and became entangled in its branches about 50 feet above the ground. The pilot had received his pilot's license 6 days earlier. He had logged 66.5 total hours, of which 4.6 were in airplane make and model. The pilot had also received 4.1 hours of dual instruction in 'mountain course/high altitude' flying. It was calculated that at the time of the accident, the airplane exceeded its aft c.g. limit slightly. Performance charts indicate that under the prevailing conditions, the airplane was capable of climbing about 240 feet per minute.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.