Cessna 177RG N33MR

Summary

On 9 February 1995 at about 02:50 local time, a Cessna 177RG registered N33MR was involved in an accident near Larkspur, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 February 1995 at 02:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Larkspur, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.1803, -104.8892

Aircraft

Cessna 177RG

Registration

N33MR

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Colorado Spgs → Englewood

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW95FA111

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AFTER BEING ADVISED THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. THE WEATHER AND DARK NIGHT WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT FIRST MADE 3 INFLIGHT CONTACTS WITH THE DENVER AFSS, AND WAS ADVISED OF FORECAST ICING CONDITIONS AND TURBULENCE ALONG HIS ROUTE. HE WAS TOLD THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED BECAUSE PILOTS HAD REPORTED CLOUD BASES 'ON THE GROUND.' THE PILOT THEN LANDED AT COLORADO SPRINGS DUE TO DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND OBTAINED THREE MORE TELEPHONE BRIEFINGS FROM THE AFSS. DURING THE LAST BRIEFING, HE WAS TOLD THAT ALTHOUGH VFR CONDITIONS WERE BEING REPORTED AT COLORADO SPRINGS AND CENTENNIAL AIRPORT (HIS DESTINATION), THERE WAS A BAND OF LEVEL ONE PRECIPITATION ACROSS HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT, AND WAS ADVISED NOT TO ATTEMPT VFR FLIGHT. THE PILOT TOOK OFF FOR THE 30 MIN FLIGHT TO CENTENNIAL AIRPORT. A WITNESS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE HEARD A LOW-FLYING AIRPLANE PASS OVER HIS HOUSE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND OBSERVED A FIRE. THE WITNESS SAID IT WAS SNOWING HEAVILY AT THE TIME, AND VISIBILITY WAS LESS THAN 1/4 MI. A LOCAL RESIDENT ALSO REPORTED THAT AT 1955 HE SCRAPED A THIN LAYER OF ICE FROM HIS WINDSHIELD.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.