Piper PA-46 (Malibu/Meridian/Mira... crash, Jan 9, 2011 (2 killed)
Piper PA-46 (Malibu/Meridian/Mirage/Matrix/M-Class) accident on January 9, 2011 near Westcliffe, Colorado, United States with 2 fatalities. Cause: The...
- Date: January 9, 2011
- Aircraft: Piper PA-46 (Malibu/Meridian/Mirage/Matrix/M-Class)
- Location: Westcliffe, Colorado, United States
- Fatalities: 2
- Phase of flight: En route
- Cause: The pilot lost control while trying to maneuver the airplane in moderate to severe turbulence and mountain wave activity near a stationary front, after entering cloud during the descent.
A privately flown 1997 Piper PA-46 Malibu was en route from Phoenix to Pueblo when, after being cleared to descend, it entered a rapid spiral-like descent in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Westcliffe. The wreckage was found the next day in mountain terrain, and the examination found no pre-impact failure of the airframe or engine. Both occupants were killed. The NTSB linked the accident to the pilot losing control in turbulent weather near a stationary front.