Piper PA-24-180 accident near Mosca, CO
On August 3, 2006, a Piper PA-24-180 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Mosca, CO. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 3, 2006
- Place
- Mosca, CO
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-180 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.855°N, 105.468°W
- NTSB ID
- 20060810X01142
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 3, 2006, approximately 0925 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-24-180 Comanche, N5416P, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed when it collided with mountainous terrain during descent about 16 miles northwest of Mosca, Colorado, near the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The cross-country flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. A visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been filed but had not been activated. The pilot was fatally injured. The personal flight originated at Pueblo, Colorado, at 0837, and was en route to Alamosa, Colorado. The pilot was the president of Pueblo Community College. According to the college, he was flying to Alamosa to have some work done on his radios. From there, he planned to fly to Durango, Colorado, and then drive to Cortez, Colorado, to attend the opening of a new college office. At 0710, the pilot contacted the Denver Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) and filed a VFR flight plan. According to a statement from the AFSS quality assurance specialist, most of the pilot's dialogue was unreadable due to equipment problems. Her summary report and a transcript of the weather briefing indicated the pilot was told, "VFR flight [is] not recommended due to an AIRMET (Airmen Meteorology Information) for occasional IFR (instrument flight rules) conditions until 1800Z (1200 MDT)." Another current AIRMET forecast mountain obscuration through 1300 MDT. At the time of the weather briefing, cu
Probable cause
a non-mechanical partial loss of engine power due to carburetor ice, and the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain. Contributing factors in this accident were weather conditions conducive to carburetor icing and the pilot inadvertently flying into instrument meteorological conditions.
More accidents in CO
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-14, Nov 15, 1987
- Grumman Gulfstream III, Mar 30, 2001
- Beech 1900, Jan 28, 2026
- Douglas DC3, Mar 9, 2019
- Piper PA-31-350, Dec 3, 2014
Browse: Colorado · Piper 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.
