On November 9, 1985, a Piper PA-230-250 (registration N1909T) operated by William J. Parker was involved in an aviation accident near Englewood, CO. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft equipped with newly installed avionics and autopilot did not attain assigned altitude, failed to capture the localizer for runway 34R, and impacted hilly terrain north of the outer marker with landing gear and flaps up.
Background
Prior to the accident, the pilot had new avionics and an autopilot system installed in the aircraft. The flight was operating under instrument flight rules.
Accident Sequence
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) data indicated that the aircraft did not reach its assigned altitude of 8,200 feet before reaching the outer marker. The aircraft also failed to become established on the localizer course for runway 34R. After crossing the outer marker, the rate of descent increased. The aircraft subsequently impacted hilly terrain at a high rate of speed, with the landing gear and flaps in the retracted position. The impact location was approximately 1 mile north of the outer marker.
Post-Crash Examination
Examination of the aircraft after the crash revealed that the No. 1 navigation radio was tuned to 117.0, which is the frequency for the Denver VOR. The standby navigation frequency was set to 111.3, the localizer frequency for runway 34R. The inbound heading for runway 34R is 347 degrees.