Piper PA-28-181 N4366D

Summary

On 1 September 1999 at about 14:25 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N4366D, operated by Colorado Skyways, was involved in an accident near Villa Grove, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 September 1999 at 14:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Villa Grove, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

38.2509, -105.9497

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N4366D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Colorado Skyways

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Colo. Springs → Salida

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN99FA157

2 people died.

The flight instructor's improper inflight decision to enter a narrow blind/box canyon, and his misjudgment of the vertical and lateral clearances. A factor was the downdrafts.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

An FBI pilot, along with two other special agents in separate airplanes, was receiving agency-sponsored mountain flying instruction. His instructor announced that they were going to practice box canyon turnarounds. Shortly thereafter, white smoke was seen coming from the side of the mountain. Evidence indicates the airplane struck tree tops while in a steep left descending turn in what was described as an extremely tight box canyon.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.