20180731018459A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Buchanan KITFOX IV-1200 · Loma, CO · July 31, 2018

Date: July 31, 2018 · 11:30 local
Place: Loma, CO
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N125TY
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN18LA303
Reported as: Buchanan Kitfox IV-1200
Reported engine: ROTAX 582SER
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,240 total814 in this make and model39 in the last 90 days

N125TYRegistered now · Buchanan KITFOX IV-1200S/N HCU089 · Built 2006 Airframe modelBuchanan KITFOX IV-1200 Engine modelRotax 582SER2 cycle

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.

While flying from grand junction, CO to san diego, CA pilot low leveled 20 feet over the Colorado river through a canyon between Loma, CO and mack, CO and struck a zip line. Hit side of canyon wall and slid down approximately 30 feet into the river. Rescued by rafters and taken to a sandbar in west water, ut until mesa county sheriff's dept showed up then was air lifted to st. mary's hospital in grand junction.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE FLYING FROM GRAND JUNCTION, CO TO SAN DIEGO, CA PILOT LOW LEVELED 20 FEET OVER THE COLORADO RIVER THROUGH A CANYON BETWEEN LOMA, CO AND MACK, CO AND STRUCK A ZIP LINE. HIT SIDE OF CANYON WALL AND SLID DOWN APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET INTO THE RIVER. RESCUED BY RAFTERS AND TAKEN TO A SANDBAR IN WEST WATER, UT UNTIL MESA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT SHOWED UP THEN WAS AIR LIFTED TO ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL IN GRAND JUNCTION.

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 CEN18LA303Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLoma, COThe pilot's improper decision to conduct a low-altitude flight over a river and his inadequate monitoring of the environment, which resulted in a collision with a cableway.Jul 31, 2018 · Substantial damage