Socata TB-20 accident near Pagosa Springs, CO
On April 23, 1997, a Socata TB-20 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Pagosa Springs, CO. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 23, 1997
- Place
- Pagosa Springs, CO
- Aircraft
- Socata TB-20 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.241°N, 107.031°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X07699
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 23, 1997, a Socata TB-20, N20NK, was reported missing by the pilot's family when the aircraft failed to arrive at Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado, on a flight from Sedona, Arizona. The aircraft was found on April 28, 1997, at 1130 mountain daylight time (all times are mountain daylight time unless otherwise noted), on the side of a mountain at N37:03.43, W106:38.27. Terrain elevation was 11,100 feet msl (above mean sea level). The location is approximately 25 miles southeast of Pagosa Springs, Colorado. At the time the aircraft was located, snow depth in the area was 5 to 7 feet. Access to the accident site was not feasible due to snow depth and avalanche danger until August 5, 1997. The wreckage was on the side of a 50 degree slope mountain on the Banded Peaks Ranch, between Banded Peak and Chama Peak in Archuleta County, Colorado. The aircraft partially burned after impact and the pilot received fatal injuries on this cross-country flight operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and a VFR flight plan was on file. No ELT signal was heard via satellite; However, when search aircraft were directly over the accident site a weak ELT signal was received. The pilot's remains were removed from the accident site by helicopter on May 4, 1997. The pilot of N20NK contacted the local flight service station (FSS) on April 22, 1997, at 1758 and obtained an outlook briefing for a flight from Sedona to Englewood. On April 23rd at 1146 the pilot activated a VFR flight plan for the trip and at 1305 the pilot of N20NK contacted Albuquerque FSS and reported that
Probable cause
inadvertent flight by the pilot into known adverse weather conditions, and his failure to maintain altitude or clearance from terrain. Factors relating to the accident were: low ceiling, rain, snow, icing conditions, and mountainous terrain.
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Browse: Colorado · Socata aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
