Piper PA-46-310P accident near Gunnison, Colorado, December 29, 2007
On December 29, 2007 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-310P, registered N33MF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gunnison, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during takeoff resulting in the airplane hitting a snowbank and subsequently, the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 29, 2007 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Gunnison, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-310P · all PA-46-310Ps on the register
- Registration
- N33MF · no longer on the register · serial 4608058
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was taking off. As the pilot began his takeoff roll, he noticed the airplane sliding just a little. As he continued to accelerate, he got the airplane straight and proceeded down the center of the runway. The pilot said that at about 75 knots, he rotated. He said he was watching a snow plow that was farther down the runway and off to the side. He'd just gotten into the air, approximately 5 feet above the runway, when the airplane drifted left and the left main landing gear caught a snow bank. The airplane came down, impacting the ground off the side of the runway and coming to rest in the snow. The pilot and the four passengers on board were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot said he felt he did not put in enough right rudder to counter the torque of the propeller after he left the ground.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,400 hours in all; 25 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GUC Gunnison CO at 5:05 pm
- Destination: Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.