Beech 95-B55B accident near Battlement Mesa, Colorado, March 15, 1994
On March 15, 1994 at about 10:10 am local time, a Beech 95-B55B, registered N9HC, was destroyed in an accident near Battlement Mesa, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPAIRED JUDGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PILOT BY FLYING WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL THAT RESULTED IN HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE (OR ALTITUDE) FROM TERRAIN, WHILE FLYING AT NIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 1994 · about 10:10 am local time
- Place
- Battlement Mesa, Colorado
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-B55B · all 95-B55Bs on the register
- Registration
- N9HC · registry record · serial TC-857
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT HAD DINNER WITH FRIENDS AND CONSUMED ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. LATER, HE AND HIS FRIENDS BECAME SEPARATED. AT ABOUT 0030 MST, A TAXICAB DRIVER MET THE PILOT AND DROVE HIM TO THE AIRPORT, ARRIVING ABOUT 0200. THE DRIVER DESCRIBED THE PILOT AS BEING 'HAMMERED,' BUT SAID HE SLEPT DURING THE TRIP TO THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT TOLD THE DRIVER HE WAS GOING TO GET IN THE AIRPLANE AND 'SLEEP IT OFF' BEFORE DEPARTING. A WITNESS, LOCATED 5 MILES WEST OF THE AIRPORT, REPORTED AN AIRPLANE MADE LOW DIVING PASSES OVER HER RESIDENCE BETWEEN 0235 AND 0305. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED TWO DAYS LATER AT THE 10,550 FOOT LEVEL OF A MESA, ABOUT 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. TOXICOLOGY TESTS FOR ETHANOL IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD AND BILE DISCLOSED LEVELS OF 200 AND 220 MG/DL (0.20% & 0.22%), RESPECTIVELY.
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
What happened, in order
- IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN/WATER during cruise - normal
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 1,486 hours in all; 398 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 1,424 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 1
The aircraft
- Last inspection: type not recorded, May 5, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: RIL Rifle CO at 9:15 am
- Destination: Unknown
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 070° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scattered at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°C, dew point 23°C
- Altimeter: 29 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 am from GJT, 34 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 FTW94FA104.