Cessna 172RG N401TA

Summary

On 28 July 2001 at about 13:50 local time, a Cessna 172RG registered N401TA was involved in an accident near Gunnison, 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

28 July 2001 at 13:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Gunnison, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

38.4994, -106.8011

Aircraft

Cessna 172RG

Registration

N401TA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gunnison → Austin

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN01LA130

3 people were seriously injured.

the pilot's failure to attain the proper climb rate, and his improper inflight planning/decision to attempt to cross mountainous terrain at an inadequate altitude. Contributing factors were the downdraft and the pilot's total lack of experience in mountain flying.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, after takeoff, he climbed to 9,700 feet msl in order to cross the mountains. The airplane then encountered a "300 foot updraft, and then a 2,000 foot downdraft." He decided to "land the plane without the use of the landing gear on the side of the mountain." One of the passengers said it was the pilot's first mountain flying experience. He remembered the airplane was at 80 knots and 8,300 feet as they approached a mountain. He said the pilot pulled back on the control yoke in an attempt to gain sufficient altitude to clear the peak but the airplane was slow in responding and "we literally came straight down" and "the belly [struck the ground] pretty hard." According to rescue personnel, the accident site was at 8,510 feet. The straight line distance between the airport and the accident site was 9 nm. The difference in accident elevation and airport elevation (8,510 - 7,673) was 837 feet. The computed climb rate was 93 feet per nm. Estimated airplane weight was 2,670 pounds at takeoff (maximum certificated gross weight is 2,650 pounds). The altimeter setting was 30.49 inches of mercury, and the computed pressure altitude was 7,103 feet msl. Referring to the Cessna 172RG "Maximum Rate of Climb" chart and interpolating, it was computed that the airplane was capable of achieving a climb rate of 464 fpm (feet per minute) and, at a climb speed of 79 knots, it was capable of climbing 352.4 feet per nm.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.