Beech 58P accident near Fort Collins, Colorado, July 24, 2004
On July 24, 2004 at about 6:07 pm local time, a Beech 58P, registered N69CL, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Collins, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall/spin. Clouds and the pilot's diverted attention were contributing factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 2004 · about 6:07 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Collins, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58P · all 58Ps on the register
- Registration
- N69CL · registry record · serial TJ-444
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot obtained a "standard weather briefing," filed an instrument flight rules flight plan, and took off. Four minutes later, after several routine radio communications, the controller issued the pilot a radar vector. He did not acknowledge. The controller repeated the vector. There was a squelch break and in the background, a noise and tone could be heard. The pilot reported, "We have got some sort of malfunction going on here." Witnesses reported hearing an engine "sputtering" and losing power. The airplane emerged from a low overcast in a flat counterclockwise spin. The airplane impacted a street and driveway in a residential subdivision. On-scene investigation disclosed the landing gear and flaps were retracted. Both elevators were deflected up and jammed by impact. Subsequent examination of the airplane revealed the cockpit fuel selector handles were in the LEFT TANK-LEFT ENGINE/RIGHT TANK-RIGHT ENGINE positions. The left and right fuel selector valves, located in the wheel wells, were OFF and ON, respectively. Analysis of the ATC communications tape revealed two engines operating until the pilot reported the "malfunction," then which only one engine sound could be heard. A steady 1,000-hertz tone, similar to an aural stall warning system, was also heard. Both engines, turbochargers, and propellers were later disassembled and examined. No anomalies were noted. Neither propeller was feathered. On the day before the accident, the pilot had undergone recurrent ground and flight training, a flight review, and an instrument proficiency check in the airplane. Flight time totaled 5.3 hours.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,397 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 1,271 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 23, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,101 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 20, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 6,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-WB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FNL Loveland CO at 6:00 pm
- Destination: OMA Omaha NE
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,100 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.45 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from FNL, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.