Beech 58P accident near Montrose, Colorado, March 1, 1995
On March 1, 1995 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Beech 58P, registered N208DK, was destroyed in an accident near Montrose, Colorado (Montrose County Municipal airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE RESULTING IN A FORCED LANDING. THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 1995 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Montrose, Colorado · Montrose County Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58P · all 58Ps on the register
- Registration
- N208DK · no longer on the register · serial TJ-201
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) WERE FORECAST FOR BOTH HIS DESTINATION, GUNNISON, CO AND HIS ALTERNATE, MONTROSE, CO. DURING FLIGHT HE DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD WINDS WERE STRONGER THAN FORECAST RESULTING IN INCREASED FUEL USAGE. HE DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO GUNNISON BASED ON INFLIGHT INFORMATION GIVEN TO HIM THAT VMC PREVAILED. ARRIVING IN GUNNISON, INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) EXISTED, AND THE PILOT MADE AN ILS APPROACH. THE APPROACH WAS MISSED AND HE DIVERTED TO HIS ALTERNATE, MONTROSE. EN ROUTE THE PILOT ADVISED ATC HE WAS LOW ON FUEL. HE CROSSFED THE LEFT ENGINE FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK BECAUSE THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY. THE PILOT MADE AN ILS APPROACH TO MONTROSE. AT DECISION HEIGHT, THE RUNWAY ENVIRONMENT WAS NOT IN SIGHT. BECAUSE OF THE CRITICAL FUEL STATE, POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND SURROUNDING HIGH TERRAIN, THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN A FIELD HE HAD SIGHTED. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IN MUD AND NOSED OVER. OCCASIONAL IFR CONDITIONS AND MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION FOR THE ACCIDENT VICINITY WERE FORECAST IN PERTINENT AIRMETS PRIOR TO AND DURING THE FLIGHT.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,360 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 61 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 4,150 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 15, 1995; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-WB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FTW Fort Worth TX at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 1.8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:26 pm from MTJ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.