Beech 58 accident near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, July 18, 1987
On July 18, 1987 at about 4:15 am local time, a Beech 58, registered N1879L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pagosa Springs, Colorado (Stevens airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. 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
- July 18, 1987 · about 4:15 am local time
- Place
- Pagosa Springs, Colorado · Stevens · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58 · all 58s on the register
- Registration
- N1879L · registry record · serial TK-13
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO LAND HIS ACFT AT NIGHT AT AN AIRPORT WITH INOPERATIVE RUNWAY LIGHTS AND USING A GROUND VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHTS TO AID HIM IN LANDING. HE STATED THAT HE TOUCHED DOWN HIS AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT OF THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY AND THE LEFT LANDING GEAR WENT OFF THE RUNWAY. DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOST AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED ABOUT 2000 FEET BEYOND THE TOUCHDOWN POINT.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,499 hours in all; 212 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 1,325 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,926 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 2, 1987; 164 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520L/L13 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWA Oklahoma City OK at 1:30 am
- Destination: 2V1
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 5,600 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 am from DRO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DEN87LA187.