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DEN89FA104

1989-04-09 · ASPEN, Colorado, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport ASE

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE ENGINE FALURE DUE TO UNDETERMINED REASONS AND THE PILOT'S MISJUDGEMENT OF THE WIND CONDITIONS WHICH RESULTED IN THE ATTEMPT TO GLIDE TO THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT ALSO FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED DURING THE GLIDE WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL.

Factual narrative

THE PLT WAS RETURNING TO ASPEN AFTER A FLT OF APRX 1.5 HRS. HE HAD RADIOED THE CONTROL TWR WHILE ON BASE LEG TO RWY 33 AND REPORTED THE ENGINE HAD FAILED. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO GLIDE TO THE RWY BUT CRASHED ABOUT 1 MILE SOUTHEAST. A POST CRASH FIRE DESTROYED THE AIRPLANE. THE ENGINE WAS OPERATIONALLY TESTED AND FOUND TO BE CAPABLE OF NORMAL OPERATION. THE WIND AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS BLOWING FROM THE NORTHWEST AT 20 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 30 KTS. WITNESSES NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE 'STALLED OUT' AT A LOW ALTITUDE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_DEN89FA104.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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