Socata TB21 N25153

Summary

On 3 December 2011 at about 20:35 local time, a Socata TB21 registered N25153 was involved in an accident near Silverton, Colorado, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 December 2011 at 20:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Silverton, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

37.8269, -107.6750

Aircraft

Socata TB21

Registration

N25153

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Durango → Aspen

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

NTSB number

CEN12FA098

4 people died.

The non-instrument-rated pilot’s decision to embark on a flight through forecasted instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his subsequent flight into IMC, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and subsequent maneuvering of the airplane in a manner that exceeded the airplane’s structural limits.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-instrument-rated pilot departed for his destination with active weather advisories for his route of flight for instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions and mountain obscuration due to clouds, precipitation, and mist. After departure, the pilot attempted to remain in visual flight rules (VFR) flight by climbing above 18,000 feet mean sea level and proceeding toward his destination. When queried by an air traffic controller, the pilot stated that he could not descend due to weather. In addition, he stated that he was not instrument rated or qualified. No further transmissions were made by the pilot. Witnesses near the accident site reported low clouds with light snow flurries. On-site wreckage distribution was consistent with an in-flight breakup. Further, an examination of the wreckage revealed signatures on the airplane’s right wing consistent with it failing in overload in the upward direction and signatures on the empennage and tail section consistent with their failure in overload in the downward direction, indicating the failures were due to loads that exceeded the airplane’s structural limits. A weather study revealed the potential for clouds at the pilot’s cruising altitude, which increased the potential for VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). Therefore, it is likely that the pilot encountered IMC, became spatially disoriented, and then maneuvered the airplane in a manner that exceeded the airplane’s structural limits while trying to return to level flight and avoid mountainous terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.