Cessna 172RG accident near Bayfield, CO

On October 10, 1995, a Cessna 172RG (airplane) was involved in an accident near Bayfield, CO. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

October 10, 1995

Place

Bayfield, CO

Aircraft

Cessna 172RG · Airplane

Injuries

3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

37.230°N, 107.590°W

NTSB ID

20001207X04681

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On October 10, 1995, approximately 0740 mountain daylight time (MDT), a Cessna 172RG, N4834V, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Bayfield, Colorado. The airplane, owned and operated by Durango Air Service, Inc., was being operated as an air taxi under Title 14 CFR Part 135. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Durango, Colorado, approximately 0630 MDT. The two passengers, outfitters who regularly conducted business with the operator, chartered the airplane and pilot to go look for elk in the mountains. The pilot of another airplane, also looking for elk, spotted the burning airplane wreckage in the Carbonate Basin, about 1/2-mile south of Miller Mountain, at the 11,130 foot level. He reported encountering smooth flying conditions at the time he found the wreckage. PERSONNEL INFORMATION According to his military logbook, the pilot came to the United States in December 1991 as a Danish Air Force cadet and began basic flight training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, in the T-37 and, later, the T-38. His advanced flight training was completed in October 1993 in the F-16A/B. The pilot began civilian flight training at Durango Air Service in February 1995. He was issued a private pilot certificate on April 13, 1995, a commercial certificate with instrument and multiengine ratings on June 12, 1995, and a flight instructor rating on August 2, 1995. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The top 5 feet of a pine tree was

Probable cause

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLEARANCE. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT DIVERTING ATTENTION WHILE LOOKING FOR GAME.

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.