Beech 35-C33 accident near Leadville, Colorado, February 28, 1999
On February 28, 1999 at about 3:06 pm local time, a Beech 35-C33, registered N977MC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Leadville, Colorado. 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 pilot's in-flight decision to turn into rising terrain, and his decision to fly into and out of the airport in a heavy weight condition after the local flight instructor/FAA accident prevention counselor recommended that he should not. Factors were the high density altitude, and the rising terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 1999 · about 3:06 pm local time
- Place
- Leadville, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35-C33 · all 35-C33s on the register
- Registration
- N977MC · registry record · serial CD-966
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had called the airport (elevation 9,927 feet) and spoke with the local flight instructor/FAA accident prevention counselor several days before the accident. The flight instructor advised the pilot not to fly to the airport with a heavy load due to the reduction in an airplane's performance in high density altitude. On the day of the accident, the flight instructor observed the pilot depart on runway 34 with two passengers and baggage (estimated gross weight of 2,950 pounds). She said that normal departure on runway 34 is a left crosswind, due to rising terrain to the east northeast. The pilot reported the he leaned the airplane's engine for full available power, but he believes that he got into a down draft after takeoff. The airplane was found approximately 1,500 feet northeast of the departure end of the runway. The maximum gross weight of the airplane was 3,050 pounds. According to the airplane's Pilot's Operating Handbook & FAA approved Airplane Flight Manual, at 10,000 feet density altitude, the airplane was capable of climbing at 490 fpm at 90 knots indicated airspeed.
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
- Flight time: 362 hours in all; 244 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 362 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,604 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 1998; 110 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LXV at 3:00 pm
- Destination: F61 Pauls Valley OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 23°F (-5°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from LXV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 DEN99LA043.