20190807014989A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Moth DH60GM · Cortez, CO · August 7, 2019

Date: August 7, 2019 · 19:45 local
Place: Cortez, CO
Airport: Cortez, Co
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N919DH
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN19LA260
Reported as: Moth DH60GM
Reported engine: Dehav ENG GIPSY GRP 3
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,875 total550 in this make and model37 in the last 90 days

N919DHRegistered now · Moth DH60GMS/N 120 · Built 1929 Airframe modelMoth DH60GM Engine modelDehav ENG GIPSY GRP 3Reciprocating

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.

The aircraft departed a private airstrip near mancos co. on a pleasure flight. Shortly after take off the pilot throttled back to 1800 RPM. And shortly after made a turn up the valley. The aircraft felt sluggish, the pilot applied carb heat. The engine remained smooth. He turned the carb heat off. They continued to climb, but the aircraft became more sluggish. The aircraft struck a tree, an crashed into the trees in a nose down position.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP NEAR MANCOS CO. ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT. SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF THE PILOT THROTTLED BACK TO 1800 RPM. AND SHORTLY AFTER MADE A TURN UP THE VALLEY. THE AIRCRAFT FELT SLUGGISH, THE PILOT APPLIED CARB HEAT. THE ENGINE REMAINED SMOOTH. HE TURNED THE CARB HEAT OFF. THEY CONTINUED TO CLIMB, BUT THE AIRCRAFT BECAME MORE SLUGGISH. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE, AN CRASHED INTO THE TREES IN A NOSE DOWN POSITION.

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 CEN19LA260Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportCortez, COA partial loss of engine power due to carburetor ice accumulation, which resulted in a loss of altitude and impact with trees.Aug 8, 2019 · Substantial damage