General Aviation Accident in Icing and Low-Visibility Conditions (N33MR)

Pre-Flight and In-Flight Briefings The pilot made three inflight contacts with the Denver Air Force Station (AFSS) and was informed of forecast icing and turbulence along the planned route. The pilot was told that visual flight rules (VFR) were not recommended because other pilots had reported cloud bases at ground level. ## Departure and Local Conditions The pilot landed at Colorado Springs due to deteriorating weather and obtained three additional telephone briefings from the AFSS. During the final briefing, the pilot was told that VFR conditions were being reported at Colorado Springs and Centennial Airport, the intended destination. However, a band of level one precipitation was present across the route, and the pilot was advised not to attempt VFR flight. ## Accident Sequence The pilot took off for the approximately 30-minute flight to Centennial Airport. A witness near the accident site reported hearing a low-flying aircraft pass overhead, followed shortly by a loud noise and a fire. The witness stated that heavy snow was falling and visibility was less than 1/4 mile. A local resident reported scraping a thin layer of ice from a windshield at 1955.