Cessna 310 down, SW Colorado

D

Dennis McKim

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Feb 4, 2015
Messages
689
Location
Western Colorado
Display Name
Display name:
Dennis McKim
http://www.nbc11news.com/home/headl...issing-aircraft-near-Telluride-325180781.html

Our local news station updates stories in the same url, so this has the original (at the bottom) and two updates stacked on top of that:

TELLURIDE, Colo. MONDAY NOON UPDATE- The National Transportation Safety Board confirms that five people were killed when a Cessna crashed into a rural mountainside in San Juan County on Sunday.

Peter Knudson of the NTSB says the Cessna 310 plane crashed into the rugged mountainside near Telluride around 4:15 PM Sunday. Five people were on board the plane, and all were killed. The identities of those on board have not yet been released by officials.

The NTSB is sending out an investigation team, that should arrive in the area later in the day on Monday.
___ _____ _____ ____ _____ ____ ___ ____ _____ ______
UPDATE @ Sunday 8:14 PM- The San Juan County Sheriffs Office has confirmed an airplane crash in a remote location within the county. Ground teams are on scene, and securing the site for a morning investigation. There is no identification of aircraft or occupants thus far. The Sheriff's Office has not yet confirmed whether the reported plane crash and the missing plane are related.

___ _____ _____ ____ _____ ____ ___ ____ _____ ______


The Civil Air Patrol was called out on a search and rescue mission for a missing Cessna aircraft that lost radar near the Grizzly Peak area of Telluride, earlier Sunday afternoon.

A CAP crew launched from the Grand Junction Regional Airport around 3:30 PM, within an hour of receiving information about the missing plane.

According to the Lieutenant Colonel Mike Daniels, with the CAP, the missing aircraft departed from California. It had stopped for fuel in Arizona and was on route to Amarillo, Texas, when it lost radar contact.

Officials say they were searching the Grizzly Peak area based on the plane’s last radar hits and cellphone forensic coordinates.

Officials do not know how many people were on board the aircraft, or why it went missing. The CAP has since been called back to the Grand Junction Regional Airport. The San Juan Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate.
Click to expand...
 
Maybe sightseeing and got in trouble. Seems a bit north of a route to Amarillo.
 
The 66 I fly had a rear bench for three. Later models added a third row
 
Sorry for the loss may they rest in peace.
 
Dennis McKim said:
Photo of apparent crash site embedded in this story:
http://www.denmarknews.net/index.php/sid/236514323
Crash site at 11,600' elevation (that's only 600' higher than Red Mountain Pass). Some confusion as to number aboard, 4 or 5.
(I don't have any evidence, but that photo looks odd for a fresh crash site...)
Click to expand...

While that is a photo of an apparent crash site, I'm sorta doubting it's a 310...much less at 11,600'

Anyway, what exactly did you find odd about a tree growing up through the fuselage? :D
 
Clark1961 said:
While that is a photo of an apparent crash site, I'm sorta doubting it's a 310...much less at 11,600'

Anyway, what exactly did you find odd about a tree growing up through the fuselage? :D
Click to expand...


What elevation is your tree line down there ..:dunno:..

We are about 10,700 MSL up here..
 
Clark1961 said:
While that is a photo of an apparent crash site, I'm sorta doubting it's a 310...much less at 11,600'

Anyway, what exactly did you find odd about a tree growing up through the fuselage? :D
Click to expand...

I don't know, just the seeming unlikelihood that the plane caught fire in the air, burned to a crisp, then pancaked flat into a mountain meadow, impaleing itself on the existing flora. But, among my several talents, I do not include fire science or crash site investigation, so ...
 
N801BH said:
What elevation is your tree line down there ..:dunno:..

We are about 10,700 MSL up here..
Click to expand...

It varies between 11,000 and 12,000 mostly. That picture looked pretty lush for an alpine setting and not so many broadleafs up high...
 
Dennis McKim said:
I don't know, just the seeming unlikelihood that the plane caught fire in the air, burned to a crisp, then pancaked flat into a mountain meadow, impaleing itself on the existing flora. But, among my several talents, I do not include fire science or crash site investigation, so ...
Click to expand...

a cautious one, you are
 
Clark1961 said:
a cautious one, you are
Click to expand...

ha...

heck, I am trying to figure out what kind of plane shown in the article....

First guess is a Aerostar with the lattice work over the cockpit, but the wreckage is too big...

Any guesses guys/gals?:dunno:
 
N801BH said:
ha...

heck, I am trying to figure out what kind of plane shown in the article....

First guess is a Aerostar with the lattice work over the cockpit, but the wreckage is too big...

Any guesses guys/gals?:dunno:
Click to expand...

just era, WWII or a little after, tree is growing up through gun turret hole, navigator's dome in nose, can't figure engine mounting unless they were stripped...I think the entire wreck was stripped and maybe not a crash
 
And back to a more local news source:
http://www.nbc11news.com/home/headlines/NTSB-now-says-4-dead-in-crash-325727201.html
The National Transportation Safety Board spokesman says four people, not five are dead after a crash in Sunday in San Juan County. A spokesman for the NTSB also confirmed that the crashed plane is the same plane that was reported overdue by a family member that expected it to arrive in Amarillo, TX.

Initial information was that five were aboard the Cessna 310 that crashed in the Ironton vicinity at 11,500 feet, leaving a debris field 300 feet long, said Peter Knudson, spokesman for the NTSB. As more information developed, authorities determined there had been four deaths, not five as the agency reported Monday.

The plane departed Flagstaff, AZ at 11:40 a.m. Mountain Time (10:40 Arizona time); according to initial information, it was headed to Amarillo via Tucumcari, N.M.

The NTSB on Tuesday also revised the crash time to about 2 p.m. Sunday, based on radar hits at that time that were close to the crash site, Knudson said.

The NTSB's investigator has not yet been able to access the crash site. The plan is to undertake a wreckage recovery operation on Thursday, Knudson said, and take the plane's remnants to a secure location for processing.

The victims' names have not been released. The plane is registered to Harold Raggio of California.
Click to expand...
 
I'm wondering if it was the green and white 'D' that was in the hangar with me in Atlanta, the owner was from CO and was asking me to fly it out to him. He bought it without seeing it, and it was a real POS. Sadly he paid more for it than he could have bought mine for, then spent over $20k to make it airworthy which IMO wasn't possible for $20k. Hope it wasn't him, he was a pretty nice guy.
 
Henning said:
I'm wondering if it was the green and white 'D' that was in the hangar with me in Atlanta, the owner was from CO and was asking me to fly it out to him. He bought it without seeing it, and it was a real POS. Sadly he paid more for it than he could have bought mine for, then spent over $20k to make it airworthy which IMO wasn't possible for $20k. Hope it wasn't him, he was a pretty nice guy.
Click to expand...

The owner is reported as living in California. Aircraft was based at Big Bear.
 
Dennis McKim said:
And back to a more local news source:
http://www.nbc11news.com/home/headlines/NTSB-now-says-4-dead-in-crash-325727201.html
Click to expand...


The plane departed Flagstaff, AZ at 11:40 a.m. Mountain Time (10:40 Arizona time); according to initial information, it was headed to Amarillo via Tucumcari, N.M.

The NTSB on Tuesday also revised the crash time to about 2 p.m. Sunday, based on radar hits at that time that were close to the crash site, Knudson said.

I am confused....:goofy::goofy:.

How did this flight need to pass through Colorado..:confused::confused::confused:
 
N801BH said:
The plane departed Flagstaff, AZ at 11:40 a.m. Mountain Time (10:40 Arizona time); according to initial information, it was headed to Amarillo via Tucumcari, N.M.

The NTSB on Tuesday also revised the crash time to about 2 p.m. Sunday, based on radar hits at that time that were close to the crash site, Knudson said.

I am confused....:goofy::goofy:.

How did this flight need to pass through Colorado..:confused::confused::confused:
Click to expand...

I can think of a reason....
 
N801BH said:
The plane departed Flagstaff, AZ at 11:40 a.m. Mountain Time (10:40 Arizona time); according to initial information, it was headed to Amarillo via Tucumcari, N.M.

The NTSB on Tuesday also revised the crash time to about 2 p.m. Sunday, based on radar hits at that time that were close to the crash site, Knudson said.

I am confused....:goofy::goofy:.

How did this flight need to pass through Colorado..:confused::confused::confused:
Click to expand...

Maybe they were parachuting a 100 lb parcel?
 
ejensen said:
Maybe sightseeing and got in trouble. Seems a bit north of a route to Amarillo.
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking too. Apparently they departed a fuel stop in AZ and were headed to AMA. Can't think of too many other reasons to be there.

Like I said in another recent thread. TEX is t that big of a deal....as long as you treat it with the proper respect.

I was wanting to overnight at TEX tonight in the Baron, but didn't want to mess with the storms so stopped in ABQ.
 
Had some interesting stuff sent to me on this one in private mail. Of course we've already seen here that he wasn't ME rated.

Dig up the obituary. [edit: And local newspaper stories back home...] An interview with a family member fondly recalling the time he landed on a road in the 310 for a July 4th celebration. Remembrances of participation in "aerobatics" demonstrations (probably just fly-bys, but combined with other things trickling out...)

Pretty sure we're starting to see the standard patterns here for personality type that lead to these things.
 
Prelim is out from NTSB...

IMC and no rating to add to the story ...

-----

14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, September 05, 2015 in Silverton, CO
Aircraft: CESSNA 310H, registration: N1099Q
Injuries: 4 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On September 5, 2015, about 1408 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 310H, N1099Q, impacted mountainous terrain at an elevation of about 11,500 feet mean sea level near Silverton, Colorado, based upon preliminary radar information consistent with the flight. Two non-instrument, single-engine land rated private pilots and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces. The airplane was registered to and operated by the registered pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight that was not operating on a flight plan and was not utilizing flight following services by air traffic control. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight last departed from Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, Flagstaff, Arizona. and was destined to Amarillo, Texas.
 
Last edited:
not multi rated. Wonder if they counted way too much on that second engine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top