Convair 580 accident near Denver, Colorado, April 25, 1986
On April 25, 1986 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Convair 580, registered N73104, was involved in an accident near Denver, Colorado. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 30 others were unhurt. 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
- April 25, 1986 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 30 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Convair 580
- Registration
- N73104 · registry record · serial 4
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
N73104 WAS OPERATING AS ASPEN AIRWAY FLT 416, SCHEDULED PAX SERVICE FROM ASPEN TO DENVER. THE FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY UNTIL LIGHT TURB WAS ENCOUNTERD NEAR DENVER. THE CAPTAIN HAD AUTHORIZED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO PERFORM BEVERAGE SVC. AFTER COMPLETING THE SVC, THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS IN THE AFT GALLEY WHEN A MODERATE BUMP WAS ENCOUNTERED AT 16,000 FT. THE FLT ATTENDANT RECEIVED SERIOUS BACK INJURIES THAT LEFT HER INCAPACITATED THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,450 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 47,000 lb
- Seats: 48
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allison 501-D13H (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aspen Airway, INC
The flight
- Departed from: ASE Aspen CO at 3:45 pm
- Destination: DEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 65 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from DEN, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 2 | ||
| Passengers | 28 |
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.