Aviat A-1 accident near Montrose, CO
On August 23, 2001, an Aviat A-1 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Montrose, CO. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 23, 2001
- Place
- Montrose, CO
- Aircraft
- Aviat A-1 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 38.215°N, 108.219°W
- NTSB ID
- 20010904X01870
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 23, 2001, at 1530 mountain daylight time, an Aviat Aircraft Inc. A-1, N8HU, was destroyed by impact with terrain during a landing attempt at Flying M&M Ranch Airfield (known locally as Sanborn Park) near Montrose, Colorado. The two airline transport certificated pilots aboard received fatal injuries. The flight was being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight that was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan. A witness a Montrose Regional Airport said that the airplane departed at approximately 1420, and performed approximately six touch-and-go landings. He said the pattern altitudes they flew appeared abnormal: cross wind was at approximately 200 feet (normally 400 feet), and downwind was at approximately 500 feet (normally 800 feet). The airport operations manager watched the airplane taxi by him on its initial takeoff; he said Stephen Downs was the pilot in the front seat. At approximately 1450, the airplane departed the area, flying to the southwest. Several witnesses observed the airplane flying in the traffic pattern at the Flying M&M Ranch Airfield. It was unclear, from the witness statements, if the airplane had made one or two landings. One witness said he saw the airplane land to the north (runway 02) and taxi to the end. He said he thought the airplane stopped, but he was not sure for how long. He said he couldn't see it very well [because of vegetation]. A second witness said the airplane departed to the south (runway 20), and began a "
Probable cause
the pilot's intentional abrupt maneuver immediately after takeoff and the subsequent loss of aircraft control. Contributing factors were high density altitude weather conditions, and the airplane improper weight and balance.
More accidents in CO
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-14, Nov 15, 1987
- Grumman Gulfstream III, Mar 30, 2001
- Beech 1900, Jan 28, 2026
- Douglas DC3, Mar 9, 2019
- Piper PA-31-350, Dec 3, 2014
Browse: Colorado · Aviat aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
