They came down 12nm east of Minturn, which is where they'd have turned south
to fly the Tennessee Pass route.

Seth

"Blanche" wrote in message
...
Seth Masia wrote:
Forced landing. Here's the preliminary dope:

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...57/detail.html
also http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_231134313.html

One report says they were en route to Leadville, the highest paved strip
in
the US at 10,000 feet.

If this was a Cherokee 160, they were operating at service ceiling. If a
Cherokee 180, they had some reserve. Not speculating here, but that's the
fact.

I've crossed Vail Pass in a rented Cherokee -- but I'm more comfortable
doing it in my own plane, where I have 250 hp and can pop up to 14,000
without a second thought.

Seth
N8100R


If they were going to Leadville, the question is where did they start
from? If anywhere on the east side of the mountains (e.g. the Front
Range which means Ft. Collins - Denver - Colorado Springs - Pueblo)
there are much safer and easier routes to get to
Leadville. Flying I-70 (which is seems they were doing) is NOT
recommended. I've got a cherokee 180 and no way would I ever
go to Leadville by way of I-70.

If they were on the west side, then there's still a safer way
than direct Vail to Leadville. It's called backtracking west almost
to Glenwood Springs, and coming down the valley to Basalt then
heading east (and do not ever fly Independence Pass!)

It looks like they may have been trying to take the Vail-Minturn
route to Leadville.