Piper PA-28 N6385R

Summary

On 25 November 1989 at about 18:56 local time, a Piper PA-28 registered N6385R, operated by McCosh, Joseph D., was involved in an accident near Steamboat Spgs, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 November 1989 at 18:56

Classification

Accident

Location

Steamboat Spgs, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

40.4896, -106.8306

Aircraft

Piper PA-28

Registration

N6385R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

McCosh, Joseph D.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Morgan → Steamboat Spgs

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN90LA025

1 person was seriously injured.

CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AND HIS DELAY IN DIVERTING OR REVERSING COURSE. THE TERRAIN, WEATHER CONDITIONS, WING ICE, AND TREES WERE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE EN ROUTE FROM BELOIT, KS, TO STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO, THE PLT LANDED AT FORT MORGAN, CO, FOR FUEL. HE TELEPHONED THE DENVER AFSS TO OBTAIN A WX BRIEFING & WAS TOLD VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, AS HE APCHD BUFFALO PASS AT 11,500 FT MSL, HE ENCTRD 'A SUDDEN, STRONG DOWNDRAFT' & APPLICATION OF FULL POWER DID NOT ARREST THE SINK RATE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES AS THE PLT WAS TURNING AROUND. ACCORDING TO THE PASSENGER, IFR CONDITIONS WERE ENCTRD, THE ACFT BEGAN ACCUMULATING ICE & IT CRASHED DRG A TURN TO REVERSE DIRECTION. APRX 28 MI WEST AT HAYDEN (ELEV 6597'), THE 1050 MST WX WAS IN PART: SKY PARTIALLY OBSCD, 1000' SCATTERED, ESTD CEILING 3000' OVC, VIS 6 MI WITH LIGHT SNOW, WIND 250 DEG AT 7 KTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.