Beechcraft 58P N69CL

Summary

On 24 July 2004 at about 18:07 local time, a Beechcraft 58P registered N69CL was involved in an accident near Fort Collins, 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

24 July 2004 at 18:07

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

40.5331, -105.0208

Aircraft

Beechcraft 58P

Registration

N69CL

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Loveland → Omaha

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN04FA109

3 people died.

the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall/spin. Clouds and the pilot's diverted attention were contributing factors.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot obtained a "standard weather briefing," filed an instrument flight rules flight plan, and took off. Four minutes later, after several routine radio communications, the controller issued the pilot a radar vector. He did not acknowledge. The controller repeated the vector. There was a squelch break and in the background, a noise and tone could be heard. The pilot reported, "We have got some sort of malfunction going on here." Witnesses reported hearing an engine "sputtering" and losing power. The airplane emerged from a low overcast in a flat counterclockwise spin. The airplane impacted a street and driveway in a residential subdivision. On-scene investigation disclosed the landing gear and flaps were retracted. Both elevators were deflected up and jammed by impact. Subsequent examination of the airplane revealed the cockpit fuel selector handles were in the LEFT TANK-LEFT ENGINE/RIGHT TANK-RIGHT ENGINE positions. The left and right fuel selector valves, located in the wheel wells, were OFF and ON, respectively. Analysis of the ATC communications tape revealed two engines operating until the pilot reported the "malfunction," then which only one engine sound could be heard. A steady 1,000-hertz tone, similar to an aural stall warning system, was also heard. Both engines, turbochargers, and propellers were later disassembled and examined. No anomalies were noted. Neither propeller was feathered. On the day before the accident, the pilot had undergone recurrent ground and flight training, a flight review, and an instrument proficiency check in the airplane. Flight time totaled 5.3 hours.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.