Piper PA-32 N47403

Summary

On 14 December 1983 at about 07:00 local time, a Piper PA-32 registered N47403 was involved in an accident near Alma, Colorado, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

14 December 1983 at 07:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Alma, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.2800, -106.0605

Aircraft

Piper PA-32

Registration

N47403

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Englewood → Salt Lake City

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN84FA225

3 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT, HIS BROTHER & HIS SISTER-IN-LAW WERE ON A FLT TO ATTEND HIS MOTHER'S FUNERAL. BEFORE TAKING OFF, THE PILOT RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING & WAS ADVISED THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. THE PLT THEN ASKED FOR WX REPORTS FOR A SOUTHERLY ROUTE & HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE MOUNTAIN TOPS WERE OBSCURED ON THAT ROUTE. HE THEN INDICATED THAT HE WOULD TRY & THAT MAYBE THE WEATHER WOULD CLEAR ENOUGH FOR HIM TO GET THRU. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED ON THE SIDE OF MT DEMOCRAT, A 14,286 FT MOUNTAIN, AT THE 13,800 FT LEVEL. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE ACFT IMPACTED IN NEAR LEVEL FLT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. THE AREA FORECAST CALLED FOR MOUNTAINS & HIGHER TERRAIN TO BE OCCASIONALLY OBSCURED IN CLOUDS & PRECIP; ROCKY MOUNTAINS 3000 TO 6000 FT THRU 20,000 FT WITH OCCASIONAL CEILINGS BELOW 1000 FT & VISIBILITY BELOW 3 MILES IN SNOW & FOG.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.