Raytheon Aircraft Company C90A accident near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, October 5, 2007
On October 5, 2007 at about 5:17 am local time, a Raytheon Aircraft Company C90A, registered N590GM, was destroyed in an accident near Pagosa Springs, Colorado (Not Applicable airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight planning, improper in-flight planning and decision making, the dark night, and the controller's failure to issue a safety alert to the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 2007 · about 5:17 am local time
- Place
- Pagosa Springs, Colorado · Not Applicable · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Raytheon Aircraft Company C90A
- Registration
- N590GM · no longer on the register · serial LJ-1594
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot contacted air traffic control, using the wrong call sign, requesting radar flight following. The airplane initially climbed to 13,500 feet, descended to 11,500 feet, climbed to 13,500 feet, and then began a descent until it impacted terrain at 11,900 feet. One minute prior to impact, the pilot asked the air traffic controller about various minimum altitudes for his route of flight. The controller responded with a minimum instrument altitude of 15,000 to 15,300 feet. A review of the handling of the accident flight showed that the controller was aware of the airplane's position, altitude, general route of flight, and its proximity to terrain. No safety alert was issued to the accident flight. Weather depiction charts, infrared satellite imagery, and local weather observations indicate instrument meteorological conditions prevailed along the route of flight, closest to the accident location. The moon had set at 1539 on the day of the accident. The pilot reported a planned flight altitude of 12,500 feet to his dispatcher. No record of a preflight weather briefing was located. An examination of the airplane, engines, and related systems revealed no anomalies.
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; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,650 hours in all; 84 in this make and model; 84 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,925 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 10,160 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-21 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Scenic Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: E91 Chinle AZ at 4:35 am
- Destination: ALS Alamosa CO
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 220° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft; ovct at 200 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 5:12 am from CPW, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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.