Beechcraft F33A N179DD

Summary

On 3 August 1997 at about 23:15 local time, a Beechcraft F33A registered N179DD was involved in an accident near Creede, Colorado, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 August 1997 at 23:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Creede, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

37.8502, -106.9196

Aircraft

Beechcraft F33A

Registration

N179DD

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Grand Junction → Angel Fire

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW97LA297

4 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's intentional low altitude flight over mountainous terrain, inadequate altitude to clear surrounding obstacles, and his misjudging vertical clearance. A factor was the pilot's use of an inappropriate chart for navigation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said he was using a WAC (1:1,000,000) chart instead of a sectional (1:500,000) chart for navigation, and thought he was at a safe altitude for the surrounding terrain. As he approached a saddle on a mountain ridge near the Continental Divide (which he thought was 11,500 feet MSL), he realized he was well below the summit. Surrounding terrain prevented him from turning around, so he applied full power in an attempt to climb above the summit. The airplane struck a rock ledge, skidded, and came to rest inverted against an embankment at the 12,200 foot level.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.