Piper 601P accident near Fountain, Colorado, November 13, 1982
On November 13, 1982 at about 6:03 am local time, a Piper 601P, registered N3641T, was destroyed in an accident near Fountain, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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
- November 13, 1982 · about 6:03 am local time
- Place
- Fountain, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper 601P
- Registration
- N3641T · no longer on the register · serial 61PO81880634
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKING OFF AT APRX 2250, THE ACFT WAS IDENTIFIED ON RADAR & OBSERVED TO CLIMB ON COURSE TO AN ALT OF 10,700 FT. THE ACFT THEN DESCENDED THRU 10,500 FT & THE CREW REPORTED THEY WOULD MAINTAIN THAT ALT. AT ABOUT 2301 THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 5 MI SE OF COLORADO SPRINGS,CO & AT 10,300 FT WHEN RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. THE ACFT CRASHED IN THAT AREA IN A NEARVERTICAL DESCENT. THE OUTBOARD 8 FT OF THE RIGHT WING HAD SEPARATED IN FLIGHT & IMPACTED ABOUT 1/4 MI FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE RIGHT AILERON HAD SHEARED IN 3 PIECES ALSO, & WAS FOUND NEAR THE FAILED WING. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE THE WING HAD YIELDED TO A DOWN & UP LOADING (1 CYCLE) WHEN IT SEPARATED UPWARD & REARWARD. ALL FRACTURE SURFACES HAD EVIDENCE OF OVERLOAD FAILURES EXCEPT THE AILERON CONTROL LINKAGE WHICH WAS FURTHER DAMAGED ON IMPACT & COULD NOT BE EVALUATED. BOTH PLTS WERE USING MEDICATION THAT WAS CONTRAINDICATED FOR USE BY AIRMEN, & BOTH PLTS HAD LITTLE SLEEP DURING THE PREVIOUS 48 HRS. BEFORE THE FLT THE PLT SEEMED AGITATED & THE COPLT HAD AN ODOR OF BEER.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 948 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-S1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Denver Charters, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: PUB Pueblo CO at 10:50 pm
- Destination: APA Englewood CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 020° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 am from COS, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.