Beechcraft 35-C33 N977MC

Summary

On 28 February 1999 at about 15:06 local time, a Beechcraft 35-C33 registered N977MC was involved in an accident near Leadville, Colorado, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 February 1999 at 15:06

Classification

Accident

Location

Leadville, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.2394, -106.2897

Aircraft

Beechcraft 35-C33

Registration

N977MC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Pauls Valley

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN99LA043

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's in-flight decision to turn into rising terrain, and his decision to fly into and out of the airport in a heavy weight condition after the local flight instructor/FAA accident prevention counselor recommended that he should not. Factors were the high density altitude, and the rising terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had called the airport (elevation 9,927 feet) and spoke with the local flight instructor/FAA accident prevention counselor several days before the accident. The flight instructor advised the pilot not to fly to the airport with a heavy load due to the reduction in an airplane's performance in high density altitude. On the day of the accident, the flight instructor observed the pilot depart on runway 34 with two passengers and baggage (estimated gross weight of 2,950 pounds). She said that normal departure on runway 34 is a left crosswind, due to rising terrain to the east northeast. The pilot reported the he leaned the airplane's engine for full available power, but he believes that he got into a down draft after takeoff. The airplane was found approximately 1,500 feet northeast of the departure end of the runway. The maximum gross weight of the airplane was 3,050 pounds. According to the airplane's Pilot's Operating Handbook & FAA approved Airplane Flight Manual, at 10,000 feet density altitude, the airplane was capable of climbing at 490 fpm at 90 knots indicated airspeed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.