Aero Commander 560-F accident near Manville, Wyoming, July 23, 1992
On July 23, 1992 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Aero Commander 560-F, registered N560CM, was destroyed in an accident near Manville, Wyoming. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A LOSS OF CONTROL FOLLOWING FLIGHT INTO WEATHER CONDITIONS CONTAINING THUNDERSTORMS, TURBULENCE AND ICING CONDITIONS. FACTORS WERE: INACCURATE WEATHER EVALUATION AND FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 1992 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Manville, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 560-F · all 560-Fs on the register
- Registration
- N560CM · no longer on the register · serial 1311-61
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A CROSS COUNTRY BUSINESS FLIGHT, WHICH WAS FILED AND FLOWN UNDER INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES, THE PILOT AND CONTROLLER HAD NUMEROUS COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING ROUTING AND WEATHER, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS CIRCUMNAVIGATING WEATHER AREAS. THE PILOT REPORTED ENTERING WHAT HIS STORMSCOPE SHOWED AS A 'CLEAR' AREA AFTER ENCOUNTERING RAIN AND MODERATE TURBULENCE AT TEMPERATURES CONDUCIVE TO STRUCTURAL ICING. THE CONTROLLER NOTED A 1,000 FOOT LOSS OF ALTITUDE FROM THE ASSIGNED CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 17,000 FEET, FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF ALTITUDE READOUT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARED FROM THE CONTROLLER'S RADAR SCOPE. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND NEAR THE LAST RADAR FIX. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED IN A NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,195 hours in all; 158 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 2,041 as pilot in command; 1,208 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,538 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 5, 1991; 111 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,500 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming OIG-540-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mclaughlin Construction CO.
The flight
- Departed from: SLC Salt Lake City UT at 7:47 pm
- Destination: PCZ Waupaca WI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 12 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from CPR, 80 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
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.