Convair 580 accident near Buena Vista, Colorado, January 20, 1989
On January 20, 1989 at about 4:25 pm local time, a Convair 580, registered N73160, was substantially damaged in an accident near Buena Vista, Colorado. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 5 people had minor injuries; 24 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADVERTENT DEACTIVATION OF FUEL TO THE LEFT ENGINE AS THE PILOT WAS MAKING A PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN OF THE RIGHT ENGINE, AND HIS FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST PROCEDURE. RELATED FACTORS WERE: LOW GEARBOX OIL PRESSURE (AT FLIGHT ALTITUDE), AND UNEVEN TERRAIN THAT WAS ENCOUNTERED DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 1989 · about 4:25 pm local time
- Place
- Buena Vista, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people had minor injuries; 24 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Convair 580
- Registration
- N73160 · no longer on the register · serial 336
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG FLT, CREW SHTDN RGT ENG WHEN WARNING LGT FOR GEARBOX OIL PRES ILLUMINATED & PRES WAS NOTED BLO MIN LMT OF 130 PSI. SHORTLY AFTER SECURING RGT ENG, L ENG LOST PWR. (FUEL TANK SHUTOFF VLV SWS & FUEL X-FEED VLV SW WERE LCTD NR EACH OTR.) ATMTS TO RESTART L ENG WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. WITH LACK OF AC ELEC PWR, CAPT COULD NOT UNFEATHER RGT ENG FOR RESTART. DRG EMERG LNDG, ACFT WAS DMGD ON UNEVEN TRRN. OPNL CHECK OF RGT ENG (AT GND LVL) REVEALED NO MALFUNCTION THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED NML OPN. EXAM OF L ENG REVEALED TURBINE SECTION HAD OVERHEATED & TURBINE BLADES HAD SEVERE HEAT DMG. CAPT SAIDTHAT WHEN HE TRIED TO RESTART L ENG, FUEL VLVS WERE IN NORMAL PSN & PWR LEVER WAS 1' ABV IDLE. HE RECALLED AN ENG RPM OF8000, BUT DIDN'T RECALL IF HE HAD USED FEATHER BUTTON TO REDUCE RPM TO 3000 (AS DRCTD BY CHECKLIST). HE VERIFIED FUEL SWS WERE 'ON' & HE TRIED TO X-FEED FUEL (IN EVENT OF BLOCKAGE). X-FEEDING OF FUEL WAS NOT PART OF RESTART PROC. FLT MAN-UAL CAUTIONED ABT IMPORTANCE OF REDUCING PWR TO FLT IDLE, TO DECREASE FUEL FLOW TO ENG & MINIMIZE POSSIBLE OVERHEATING.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,644 hours in all; 6,224 in this make and model; 173 in the last 90 days; 76 in the last 30 days; 12,138 as pilot in command; 92 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 54,108 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 7, 1988
- Maximum gross weight: 58,156 lb
- Seats: 53
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allison 501-D13H (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DEN Denver CO
- Destination: DRO Durango CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 1°F (-17°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from LXV, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 5 | 21 |
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.