VAIL, CO, USA
N45747
BOEING E75N1
THE FLIGHT WAS THE BEGINNING OF A 2 MONTH AROUND THE WORLD GOODWILL FLIGHT IN AN OPEN COCKPIT BIPLANE. COMMEMORATING THE SAME FEAT ACCOMPLISHED BY TWO RUSSIAN PILOTS IN 1937. ABOARD THE AIRPLANE WAS THE 1982 SOVIET AEROBATIC CHAMPION AND CURRENT COACH OF THE SOVIET AEROBATIC TEAM. THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING BELOW THE RIDGE LINE, APPROACHING VAIL PASS (ELEVATION 10,603 FT MSL) ON THE NORTH SIDE OF I 70 AT 9200 FEET. THE PILOT SAID THEY ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT, DRIVING THE AIRPLANE INTO THE GROUND. A REVIEW OF WEATHER DATA SHOWED EIGHT PIREPS FILED FOR MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULENCE OVER THE COLORADO MOUNTAINS.
A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT. A FACTOR WAS: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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