What happened
While traveling from Salers to Denver, the flight experienced a critical mechanical issue. During the cruise phase of the flight, the pilot notified air traffic control that one of the engines had failed and indicated an intention to divert to the closest available airfield.
As the aircraft attempted to manage the emergency, it lost altitude. The plane subsequently entered a stall and impacted the ground in the vicinity of Hays. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft type and caused the deaths of all seven people on board.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the engine failure occurred during normal cruise operations. The primary mechanical trigger was a failure within the compressor assembly, specifically involving the forward main shaft bearing. This component failure led to the loss of power in one engine.
Several contributing factors were noted in the investigation, including:
- Material failure within the engine components
- The pilot's inability to maintain sufficient airspeed
- Inappropriate decision-making during the emergency
- Total loss of function in one engine