DEN04FA119
NTSB Identification: DEN04FA119.
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Accident occurred Monday, August 09, 2004 in Monarch Crest, CO
Probable Cause Approval Date: 1/24/2005
Aircraft: Cessna 172P, registration: N911JR
Injuries: 2 Fatal.

The two pilots we en route home after a trip to the west coast. Two witnesses, hiking near the Continental Divide, heard an airplane approaching. They saw the airplane coming towards them "at eye level." It seemed to be stationary, then it banked hard to the right and went straight down. The accident took place at an elevation of 11,418 feet msl. The elevation of that portion of the Continental Divide is 11,530 feet msl. Later engine disassembly and examination disclosed no anomalies. Weather observed at a remote AWOS facility, located approximately 1 mile east of the accident site, was used to compute an estimated density altitude of 14,300 feet msl. According to the 1984 Cessna 172P Skyhawk "Information Manual," the airplane's service ceiling is 13,000 feet.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in a stall, and his decision to conduct flight beyond the performance capability of the aircraft. A contributing factor was the high density altitude, and an inadvertent stall.

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