Cessna 182E accident near Austin, CO
On February 23, 2006, a Cessna 182E (airplane) was involved in an accident near Austin, CO. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- February 23, 2006
- Place
- Austin, CO
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182E · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 38.767°N, 108.000°W
- NTSB ID
- 20060227X00238
Official records · DEN06FA043
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 23, 2006, approximately 1059 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182E, N9298X, piloted by a commercial pilot, was destroyed when it struck power lines and subsequently impacted terrain 8 miles south-southeast of Austin, Colorado. An explosion and post-impact fire ensued. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was being conducted without a flight plan under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot and 2 passengers on board the airplane sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated at Telluride, Colorado, approximately 0900 and was en route to a private air strip. According to the pilot's brother, the pilot was flying to an airstrip located near the Gunnison River Farm, the accident location, to do work there. The pilot owned a construction company and was, at the time, working to install a hydro-electric generator at the farm. The two passengers on board the airplane were believed to be employees of the pilot's company. His brother said that the pilot had flown into the nearby airstrip before and had landed at the airstrip to visit the farm only a few days before the accident. A witness who worked at the farm to which the power lines ran, said he "heard the airplane buzz the ranch." The witness said the airplane then flew into the power lines. After striking the lines there was extensive damage to the airplane. Another witness who managed the ranch said he saw and heard the airplane "buzz the ranch." He said the airplane came in once and was closer to the river (Gunnison River). The
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the transmission wire resulting in the airplane's outboard wing portion to be severed, and the subsequent loss of control and ground impact. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot's impairment from his recent marijuana use and the transmission wire.
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Browse: Colorado · Cessna 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.
