Rockwell 690C accident near Golden, Colorado, December 23, 1992
On December 23, 1992 at about 3:22 am local time, a Rockwell 690C, registered N81TR, was destroyed in an accident near Golden, Colorado. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT FLYING THE AIRCRAFT BEYOND THE DESIGN MANEUVERING SPEED AND EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS. A FACTOR WAS: CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 1992 · about 3:22 am local time
- Place
- Golden, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 690C
- Registration
- N81TR · registry record · serial 11690
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN A DESCENT FOR ARRIVAL AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL FAILURE WITH THE RIGHT OUTER WING, HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, AND VERTICAL STABILIZER SEPARATING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES FROM THE PLANNED DESTINATION. ACCORDING TO RADAR DATA AND OTHER RESEARCH, THE DESCENT WAS CONDUCTED AT VNE AND KNOWN SEVERE TURBULENCE WAS PRESENT IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,400 hours in all; 910 in this make and model; 183 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 5,280 as pilot in command; 1,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,768 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 25, 1992; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,325 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-33-1254 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Casper Air Service
The flight
- Departed from: RIL Rifle CO at 2:30 am
- Destination: DEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 260° at 30 knots, gusting 45
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 am from BJC, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N81TR the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.