Piper PA-23C-250 accident near Gunnison, Colorado, July 25, 1982
On July 25, 1982 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-23C-250, registered N6383Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gunnison, Colorado (Gunnison County airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 1982 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Gunnison, Colorado · Gunnison County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23C-250 · all PA-23C-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6383Y · no longer on the register · serial 273668
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING TAKEOFF, THE PILOT WAS DISTRACTED BY INBOUND TRAFFIC AND DELAYED RETRACTING HIS GEAR. AT THE SAME TIME, THE ENGINES WERE NOT SYNCHRONIZED AND HE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING THEM TO SOUND GOOD. HE THEN NOTICED THAT A FIRE HAD STARTED IN THE VICINITY OF THE LEFT ENGINE. THE LEFT ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN AND FEATHERED, AND THE FIRE SUBSIDED. SINCE THE HYDRAULIC PUMP WAS ON THE LEFT ENGINE, THE HAND PUMP HAD TO BE USED TO RETRACT OR EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT DELAYED PUMPING THE GEAR UP, THEN REALIZED HE WOULD BE UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE LANDED IN A GRASSY AREA WITH THE GEAR RETRACTED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED FIRE DAMAGE IN THE VICINITY OF THE FUEL INJECTOR AND ALTERATOR. A FUEL LEAK WAS FOUND AT THE MIXTURE CONTROL VALVE, PN 2522591, WHERE THE O-RINGS AROUND THE VALVE STEM WERE WORN. ALSO, A TEARDOWN OF THE ALTERNATOR REVEALED THAT THE BRUSHES AND ARMATURE WERE WORN TO THE EXTENT THAT SPARKING COULD OCCUR, THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 8500 FT.
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: 1,877 hours in all; 1,217 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 1,642 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,750 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Landair Charter Service, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: GUC Gunnison CO at 8:30 am
- Destination: SAF Santa Fe NM
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 135°F (57°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:47 pm from GUC, 2 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.