Beech 65-A90 accident near Rangely, Colorado, March 28, 1984
On March 28, 1984 at about 11:48 pm local time, a Beech 65-A90, registered N114CW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rangely, Colorado (Rangeley airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. 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
- March 28, 1984 · about 11:48 pm local time
- Place
- Rangely, Colorado · Rangeley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65-A90 · all 65-A90s on the register
- Registration
- N114CW · registry record · serial LJ-114
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF ON A LEFT DOWNWIND DEPARTURE, A POWER LOSS ON BOTH ENGINES OCCURRED. BOTH MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED DURING A FORCED LANDING IN A MUDDY SAGEBRUSH COVERED FIELD. THE PLT HAD REFUELED THE ACFT & HAD FAILED TO DRAIN THE FUEL STORAGE TANK & ACFT FUEL TANKS BEFORE TAKEOFF. FUEL THAT WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE ACFT AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED IT WAS A MIXTURE OF FUEL, WATER & PARTICLES THAT RESEMBLED RUST. FUEL EXTRACTED FROM THE STORAGE TANK INTO A 5 GAL BUCKET CONTAINED RUST PARTICLES, & WHEN MEASURED, CONTAINED 12 INCHES OF WATER & 1 INCH OF FUEL.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,850 hours in all; 270 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 10,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,015 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 16, 1984; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,650 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: DEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 4,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.