Grumman American AA-5B N742BM

Summary

On 19 July 2003 at about 17:00 local time, a Grumman American AA-5B registered N742BM was involved in an accident near Steamboat Sprng, 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

19 July 2003 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Steamboat Sprng, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Steamboat Springs/Bob Adams Fi (SBS)

Coordinates

40.3353, -106.6881

Aircraft

Grumman American AA-5B

Registration

N742BM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Steamboat Sprin → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN03FA133

3 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance. Contributing factors include the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, high density altitude, and mountainous conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to one witness, an airplane, matching the description of the accident airplane, departed an airport near Fort Collins, Colorado, at approximately 0900. A second witness reported that an airplane, matching that same description, landed at an airport near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. According to the second witness, the airplane was on the ground for a short time. During this time, the second witness assisted the pilot in servicing one of the airplane's main landing gear tires with air while one of the passengers took a bathroom break. The pilot did not purchase any fuel for the aircraft. The airplane departed at approximately 1045. According to the local Sheriff's office, at 1116, they received a report of vertically rising black smoke near Rabbit Ears Pass. At approximately 1330, a crew in a firefighting helicopter dispatched to the scene to contain the fire, reported that there was aircraft wreckage in the fire. At approximately 1630, a search and rescue team reported an unknown number of fatalities. Due to the post impact fire, the immediate identification of the aircraft and its occupants was not possible. A serial number, obtained from the airplane's engine, was later used to identify the wreckage. The accident site was located in mountainous terrain at an elevation of approximately 9,500 feet msl. The on-site investigation revealed several damaged trees along a 200-foot debris path preceding the accident site near the crest of a heavily forested mountain valley. No preimpact airframe or engine anomalies were identified. The calculated density altitude, at an airport approximately 27 nautical miles west of the accident site, was 9,152 feet msl.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.