STEAMBOAT SPGS, CO, USA
N6385R
PIPER PA-28
WHILE EN ROUTE FROM BELOIT, KS, TO STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO, THE PLT LANDED AT FORT MORGAN, CO, FOR FUEL. HE TELEPHONED THE DENVER AFSS TO OBTAIN A WX BRIEFING & WAS TOLD VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, AS HE APCHD BUFFALO PASS AT 11,500 FT MSL, HE ENCTRD 'A SUDDEN, STRONG DOWNDRAFT' & APPLICATION OF FULL POWER DID NOT ARREST THE SINK RATE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES AS THE PLT WAS TURNING AROUND. ACCORDING TO THE PASSENGER, IFR CONDITIONS WERE ENCTRD, THE ACFT BEGAN ACCUMULATING ICE & IT CRASHED DRG A TURN TO REVERSE DIRECTION. APRX 28 MI WEST AT HAYDEN (ELEV 6597'), THE 1050 MST WX WAS IN PART: SKY PARTIALLY OBSCD, 1000' SCATTERED, ESTD CEILING 3000' OVC, VIS 6 MI WITH LIGHT SNOW, WIND 250 DEG AT 7 KTS.
CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AND HIS DELAY IN DIVERTING OR REVERSING COURSE. THE TERRAIN, WEATHER CONDITIONS, WING ICE, AND TREES WERE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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