Downdraft may be behind Rocky Mountain National Park plane crash.
(Photo by National Park Service)
On July 8th, an American Champion 8KCAB (registration N56BC) crashed into mountainous terrain at Rocky Mountain National Park, on a point west of Estes Park, Colorado. The two occupants, pilot Dr. James “Jim” Michaels and his daughter (and also a pilot), Tonie Michaels, survived the crash, but were not rescued until the next morning when park rescuers were able to access the crash site. On July 23, 2010, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its preliminary report on the investigation.
According to the report, the aircraft had departed Greeley-Weld County Airport (GXY) in Greeley, Colorado and was headed across a mountain pass through Rocky Mountain National Park on its way to Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (ASE) in Aspen, Colorado. According to the pilot, the aircraft was performing a 360° climbing turn in order to gain altitude and pass over terrain when it entered a strong wind downdraft. In the end, the downdraft overpowered the aircraft and it crashed into a slope. The pilot stated that even with full power and a best rate of climb setting, the plane still descended steeply into the ground. The plane crashed at approximately 10,000 feet MSL. The 8KCAB has an about 5,000 feet higher service ceiling, but, of course, performance gets affected adversely as the altitude increases.
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