Navion G accident near Leadville, Colorado, February 7, 1983
On February 7, 1983 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Navion G, registered N91774, was destroyed in an accident near Leadville, Colorado. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 7, 1983 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Leadville, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Navion G
- Registration
- N91774 · registry record · serial NAV-4-488F
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CRASHED INTO A MOUNTAIN AT THE 12000 FT LEVEL IN BAD WEATHER DURING A CROSS-COUNTRY FLT. BEFORE TAKEOFF THE PILOT HAD BEEN ADVISED OF ADVERSE WEATHER ENROUTE WITH VFR FLT NOT RECOMMENDED. HE SAID HE WOULD FLY OUT TO CHECK THE WEATHER AND RETURN IF IT WAS TOO BAD. LATER HE CALLED ASPEN FOR A'FIX' OR AID IN RETURNING AND WAS TOLD HE WOULD HAVE TOCALL DENVER. A LOCAL RESIDENT HEARD THE PILOT TRYING TO CALL DENVER BUT CONTACT WAS NEVER MADE. SOMETIME LATER AN FLT SIGNAL WAS REPORTED. THE ACRT WAS FOUND THE FOLLOWING DAY IN A SNOW COVERED WILDERNESS AREA NEAR LEADVLLE CO.
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
- Flight time: 1,050 hours in all; 1,050 in this make and model; 11 as pilot in command; 11 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,964 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 21, 1982; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-H (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ASE Aspen CO
- Destination: COSA Colorado Spring CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from ASE, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN83FA056.