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20040103000259A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Gulstm 690A · Cortez, CO · January 3, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
January 3, 2004 · 12:12 local
Place
Cortez, CO
Airport
Cortez-Montezuma County
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
W9WA
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N700SR
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN04FA035
Reported as
Gulstm 690A
Reported engine
Garrett TPE331*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
1,872 total91 in this make and model29 in the last 90 days
N700SRRegistration cancelled Aug 23, 2004 · Aero Commander 690AS/N 11164 · Built 1974Airframe modelAero Commander 690AEngine modelAiResearch TPE331 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Accident of N700SR, GA-690-A on January 3, 2004 at Cortez, Colorado. On January 3, 2004, at 1212 MST, an aero commander 690A, N700SR, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering for landing at Cortez, Colorado. The commercial pilot, the only occupant aboard, was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot was executing the VOR approach to runway 21. He was heard to report procedure turn and VOR inbound. Two witnesses walked outside there hangar to watch. They said they saw the airplane emerge from the overcast slightly high and fast. The airplane started a steep left turn and disappeared from view. The witness said it was snowing heavily to the northeast at the time. Another witness was sitting in a restaurant near the airport perimeter. She said she saw the airplane go by at a low altitude in a steep bank. The wings were "wobbling" and the nose was "dipping." She then saw the left wing drop and the airplane descend to the ground "almost vertically." Recorded weather near the time of the accident at 1212 MST was: 1209 MST wind 290@10 gust 15, 1/2 mile visibility in snow and fog, few 300, broken 900, overcast 3200, temp 00, dewpoint 00, altimeter 29.71. 1225 MST wind 290@8, 1/2 mile visibility in snow and fog, broken 400, overcast 900, temp 00, dewpoint 00, altimeter 29.71.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ACCIDENT OF N700SR, GA-690-A ON JANUARY 3, 2004 AT CORTEZ, COLORADO. ON JANUARY 3, 2004, AT 1212 MST, AN AERO COMMANDER 690A, N700SR, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING FOR LANDING AT CORTEZ, COLORADO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE ONLY OCCUPANT ABOARD, WAS FATALLY INJURED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE PILOT WAS EXECUTING THE VOR APPROACH TO RUNWAY 21. HE WAS HEARD TO REPORT PROCEDURE TURN AND VOR INBOUND. TWO WITNESSES WALKED OUTSIDE THERE HANGAR TO WATCH. THEY SAID THEY SAW THE AIRPLANE EMERGE FROM THE OVERCAST SLIGHTLY HIGH AND FAST. THE AIRPLANE STARTED A STEEP LEFT TURN AND DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW. THE WITNESS SAID IT WAS SNOWING HEAVILY TO THE NORTHEAST AT THE TIME. ANOTHER WITNESS WAS SITTING IN A RESTAURANT NEAR THE AIRPORT PERIMETER. SHE SAID SHE SAW THE AIRPLANE GO BY AT A LOW ALTITUDE IN A STEEP BANK. THE WINGS WERE "WOBBLING" AND THE NOSE WAS "DIPPING." SHE THEN SAW THE LEFT WING DROP AND THE AIRPLANE DESCEND TO THE GROUND "ALMOST VERTICALLY." RECORDED WEATHER NEAR THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AT 1212 MST WAS: 1209 MST WIND 290@10 GUST 15, 1/2 MILE VISIBILITY IN SNOW AND FOG, FEW 300, BROKEN 900, OVERCAST 3200, TEMP 00, DEWPOINT 00, ALTIMETER 29.71. 1225 MST WIND 290@8, 1/2 MILE VISIBILITY IN SNOW AND FOG, BROKEN 400, OVERCAST 900, TEMP 00, DEWPOINT 00, ALTIMETER 29.71.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB DEN04FA035Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportCortez, COthe pilot's inadequate planned approach and his failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in a stall. Contributing factors were low altitude flight maneuvering in an attempt to lose excessive altitude and realign the airplane for landing, and his failure to…Jan 3, 2004 · Destroyed

Other reports on N700SR · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19900401012349IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Kalamazoo, MILanded with gear partly extended. Insufficient pressure in nose strut allowed retract without full extension.Apr 1, 1990 · Minor damage