Beech A36TC accident near Steamboat Sprgs, Colorado, November 29, 1986
On November 29, 1986 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Beech A36TC, registered N36TS, was destroyed in an accident near Steamboat Sprgs, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 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 29, 1986 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Steamboat Sprgs, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36TC · all A36TCs on the register
- Registration
- N36TS · no longer on the register · serial EA 221
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT AND FOUR PAXS WERE RETURNING HOME FROM A SKI VACATION. A WITNESS AT THE ARPT OBSERVED A NORMAL TAKEOFF AND SAW THE ACFT TURN TOWARDS AN AREA OF HIGH TERRAIN LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES FROM THE STEAMBOAT ARPT. THE WITNESS OBSERVED N36TS CONTINUE ON A HEADING TOWARDS COPPER RIDGE AT AN ALTITUDE THAT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO CLEAR THE SUMMIT. THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES AND THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET BELOW THE SUMMIT. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED BY A POST CRASH FIRE. PERFORMANCE CHARTS FOR THE ACFT INDICATED A RATE OF CLIMB OF 1,060 FPM AND A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES TO CLIMB FROM 6,879 FEET TO 8,400 FEET. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF THE ACFT STRUCTURE, FLT CONTROL SYS, ENG OR PROP PRIOR TO THE INITIAL IMPACT. ATTEMPTS TO LOCATE THE PLTS LOG BOOKS FOR FLT TIME WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. TIME EST FROM MED RECORDS.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 530 hours in all; 20 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 SERI (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: MSP Minneapolis MN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:30 pm from SBS, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.