Beech 1900D incident near Pueblo, Colorado, October 4, 1996
On October 4, 1996 at about 2:37 am local time, a Beech 1900D, registered N154ZV, was involved in an incident near Pueblo, Colorado. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 16 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Partial incapacitation of the flightcrew for unknown reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 4, 1996 · about 2:37 am local time
- Place
- Pueblo, Colorado · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 16 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 1900D · all 1900Ds on the register
- Registration
- N154ZV · no longer on the register · serial UE-154
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The scheduled commuter flight had been en route for approximately 30 minutes and was in cruise flight at 13,000 feet MSL. Both pilots complained of dizziness and disorientation. After going on oxygen the symptoms dissipated and a normal landing was made at the intended destination approximately 10 minutes after the occurrence. Examination of the aircraft, crew, luggage, and cargo provided no evidence of a problem and neither crew member had any physical manifestations such as smell or irritation. One passenger indicated the possibility of dizziness. No other aircraft in the area at the time reported any difficulty. A test flight was conducted using the same crew, aircraft, route, and altitude. During the flight, tests were performed by a industrial hygienist with negative results. Tracking of the crew and aircraft for several months provided no additional insight.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 16,950 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-67D (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mesa Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: DEN Denver CO
- Destination: PUB
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 am from PUB, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 14 |
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 N154ZV 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.