20250707008729A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Dan Smith CCK-1865 · Del Norte, CO · July 7, 2025

Date
July 7, 2025 · 11:15 local
Place
Del Norte, CO
Airport
Astronaut Kent Rominger
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N952SA
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN25LA240
Reported as
Dan Smith CCK-1865
Reported engine
Lycoming CC363I
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,218 total115 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

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.

Maneuvering flight between 10000 and 10500 feet. Aircraft performance negatively affected by near max gross weight and high density altitude and was not sufficient to outclimb rising terrain. Ground contact was made resulting in substantial damage of the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

MANEUVERING FLIGHT BETWEEN 10000 AND 10500 FEET. AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED BY NEAR MAX GROSS WEIGHT AND HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AND WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO OUTCLIMB RISING TERRAIN. GROUND CONTACT WAS MADE RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

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