Cessna 320E accident near Creede, CO
On June 15, 2016, a Cessna 320E (airplane) was involved in an accident near Creede, CO. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 15, 2016
- Place
- Creede, CO
- Aircraft
- Cessna 320E · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.822°N, 106.906°W
- NTSB ID
- 20160620X21154
Official records · CEN16FA224
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 15, 2016, about 1409 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 320E airplane, N777GY, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Mineral County Memorial Airport (C24), Creede, Colorado. The commercial pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Left Hand Financial, Inc., and was being operated by Rocky Mountain Aerial Surveys (RMAS) under contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial photography flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the flight, which departed Central Colorado Regional Airport (AEJ), Buena Vista, Colorado, about 1307. According to an RMAS employee, about 1240, the pilot called the RMAS base in Longmont, Colorado, to provide a mid-day briefing. The pilot reported that the airplane had performed "fine" for the first 2.5 hours of surveying. However, he added that, after they had lunch at AEJ and departed about 1307, the airplane experienced an engine vibration that felt like it was coming from the right side and that the airplane seemed slow. According to the AEJ manager, about 15 minutes after takeoff, the pilot called AEJ to report that he had an issue and would be returning to the airport. After the pilot landed the airplane at AEJ, he and a local mechanic inspected it to determine what was causing the vibration. The pilot called the RMAS base, and the RMAS employee and the pilot agreed that he would fly to Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC), Longmont, Colorado, for maintenance b
Probable cause
The pilot's loss of airplane control during descent following a loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examinations and engine test-runs of both engines revealed no evidence of any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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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.
