Beechcraft 58P N123Z

Summary

On 10 June 2002 at about 02:30 local time, a Beechcraft 58P registered N123Z was involved in an accident near Grand Junction, Colorado, United States. One person was 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

10 June 2002 at 02:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Grand Junction, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Walker Field (GJT)

Coordinates

39.1225, -108.5267

Aircraft

Beechcraft 58P

Registration

N123Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Public Use

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Grand Junction → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN02TA052

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's inadvertent flight into adverse weather conditions. A factor contributing to the accident was the terrain-induced turbulence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed Grand Junction, Colorado (GJT) on fire assignment as a Forest Service lead airplane, to the Coal Seam Fire in Garfield County, Colorado, in the vicinity of Glenwood Springs. The pilot reported experiencing low-level wind shear and light, moderate, and severe turbulence from just after takeoff through arriving at the area of operation. Following a reconnaissance of the fire, the pilot reported climbing to approximately 5,000 feet agl (above ground level) to avoid the turbulence and wait for wind conditions to improve so that tanker operations (aircraft dropping fire suppressant chemicals on the wildfire) could begin. The pilot reported that wind conditions improved and tanker operations commenced. On conclusion of the tanker operations, the pilot returned to GJT. The pilot reported he was in the vicinity of the Book Cliffs, approximately 10 miles northeast of GJT, approximately 2,000 feet agl in a low power descent, and an airspeed of approximately 150-160 knots, when he encountered one significant event of severe turbulence. The pilot reported the winds were out of the southwest at 20 knots with gusts to 29 knots. The airplane continued to GJT and landed uneventfully. The aircraft damage was noted the following morning during a routine preflight inspection. An examination of the airplane showed the top skin of the airplane's left wing, between the fuselage and the left engine nacelle, was buckled. No other anomalies were found. The reported winds at GJT, 34 minutes prior to the event, were 180 degrees at 20 knots with gusts to 28 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.