Beech 58P accident near Colorado Spring, Colorado, August 5, 1997
On August 5, 1997 at about 4:58 pm local time, a Beech 58P, registered N258W, was destroyed in an accident near Colorado Spring, Colorado (Colorado Springs Muni airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to follow IFR procedures; and his failure to maintain proper altitude, while executing a missed approach from an attempted ILS approach. Related factors included: low ceiling, rain, fog, the pilot's overconfidence in his personal ability, and inadequate service provided by the approach controller by not providing current weather and airport information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 1997 · about 4:58 pm local time
- Place
- Colorado Spring, Colorado · Colorado Springs Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58P · all 58Ps on the register
- Registration
- N258W · registry record · serial TJ-170
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During arrival, the pilot contacted 'Springs Approach' & was provided a vector to join the localizer for an ILS DME Runway 17L Approach. He was advised that runway RVR was 4,000 feet (about 3/4 mile visibility), but was not provided other current weather or airport information. In preparation for the ILS, he was instructed to descend & maintain 9,000 feet, then to reduce his speed 20 knots as he was closing on an MD-80, 3 miles ahead. About 2 minutes later (without issuing a clearance for the ILS approach), the pilot was transferred to tower frequency. Soon thereafter, the tower controller advised the pilot that radar showed he had deviated from the localizer course & inquired about his intentions. The pilot said he was going to make a missed approach. To ensure separation from other traffic, the controller told the pilot to turn left to 090 degrees, climb, & maintain 9,000 feet. Seconds later, the controller noted the pilot was below minimum vectoring altitude & told him to start his climb. The pilot acknowledged. About a minute later, the controller asked the pilot for his heading; the pilot replied '...190 heading to 090.' The controller told him to 'Start a left turn now. You're headed towards the mountains.' The pilot acknowledged, but moments later, radio & radar contact with the airplane were lost. The airplane impacted a small hill about 5 miles north of the airport on a magnetic heading of 080 degrees. Although the pilot was certificated to fly multiengine airplanes in instrument meteorological conditions, FAA records revealed he had once failed the instrument practical test; had made an inadvertent wheels up landing in the airplane; had failed an instrument procedures refresher course; and had once failed the multiengine practical test. These events occurred 18, 10, 7, and 6 months before the accident, 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 609 hours in all; 105 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 420 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,099 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 21, 1997; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BJC Broomfield CO at 4:28 pm
- Destination: COS CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17L, 13,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from COS, 5 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N258W the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 FTW97FA299.