Cessna 182M accident near Basalt, CO
On November 11, 2008, a Cessna 182M (airplane) was involved in an accident near Basalt, CO. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- November 11, 2008
- Place
- Basalt, CO
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182M · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 39.382°N, 106.557°W
- NTSB ID
- 20081112X55249
Official records · CEN09LA056
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On November 11, 2008, about 1530 Mountain Standard Time, a single-engine Cessna 182, N71276, was destroyed upon impact with terrain following a loss of control while in cruise flight near Basalt, Colorado. The private pilot, the sole occupant on board the airplane, was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot. A flight plan was not filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight. The 260-nautical mile planned cross-country flight originated from the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC), Denver, Colorado, with Carbon County Regional Airport (PUC), Price, Utah, as its intended destination. The airplane was the subject of an ALNOT (alert notice) for a missing airplane and a search was initiated. The airplane was located on November 12, 2008, inside the Holy Cross Wilderness area, in rugged terrain. Due to the remote location and winter snow, the airplane was not recovered until July, 2009. Photographs taken of the accident site revealed that the airplane appeared to impact terrain at a steep angle and at a high rate of speed. The airplane's cabin area appeared extensively crushed and buckled along with the engine/propeller, and situated over a small impact crater. Both wings, along their entire span, in front of and aft of the main wing spar, displayed aft accordion crushing. A review of the airplane’s radar track showed the airplane heading westbound at an altitude of 14,800 feet. Prior to disappearing from radar at 1530, the airplane appeared to make a rapid descent. There was no reported communicat
Probable cause
The non-instrument-rated pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his loss of control of the airplane in flight.
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 · 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.
