Piper PA-28R-201 accident near Salida, Colorado, August 7, 2006
On August 7, 2006 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-201, registered N6506C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salida, Colorado. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation. Contributing factors in this accident were the pilot's lack of familiarity with the geographical area, his becoming lost/disoriented, his improper decision, the high density altitude, and the reduction in the airplane's climb performance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2006 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Salida, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201 · all PA-28R-201s on the register
- Registration
- N6506C · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7837170
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and his passenger were returning to California after attending the Experimental Aircraft Association Convention (AirVenture 2006) in Wisconsin. The airplane arrived the evening before and was refueled. The next morning, the pilot obtained a Computer Science Corporation (CSC) Direct User Access Terminal System (DUATS) weather briefing and filed a VFR flight plan. The pilot asked which route he should take to go to Utah. He said he wanted to fly west across Monarch Pass (elevation 11,312 feet msl). It was suggested that he fly south through Poncha Pass before turning west. The airplane took off at 0945, and turned right towards Monarch Pass. Witnesses reported seeing a low-wing single-engine airplane flying north up a canyon. One witness 2 miles from the accident site said he saw a low-flying airplane pass overhead and fly into a valley. When it failed to emerge, the witness went to investigate and found the wreckage. The accident site was at an elevation of 12,020 feet msl and was surrounded by 13,000 and 14,000-foot mountain peaks. The airplane's right wing struck trees and the airplane came to rest inverted 250 feet away. The landing gear was down and the flaps were up.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,450 hours in all; 20 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: May 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0V2 Salida CO at 3:45 pm
- Destination: MLF Milford UT
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 500 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.82 inHg
- Observation at 4:30 pm from MYP, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.