What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 06/10/2026 at approximately 100 (MDT), a vans RV-7 crashed at a private airstrip in the vicinity of South Fork, CO. Pilot reported that the engine sputtered and stalled during the take off sequence from a dirt airstrip in a mountainous area. The airplane sustained significant damage as to be destroyed in the crash sequence and consumed by the post crash fire. The airplane's main landing gear compressed, spread folded underneath the wing/fuselage. Fuselage of the airplane sustained severe structural damage as a result of the low airspeed low angle impact. The propeller was completely destroyed along with the nose cone. The aircraft with the exception of the tail and right wing (upwind) was consumed in the post accident fire. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) existed at the time of the accident. Pilot sustained minor injuries who initially refused treatment and was released at the scene by first responders. Airman later went to the hospital with minor injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ON 06/10/2026 AT APPROXIMATELY 100 (MDT), A VANS RV-7 CRASHED AT A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP IN THE VICINITY OF SOUTH FORK, CO. PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND STALLED DURING THE TAKE OFF SEQUENCE FROM A DIRT AIRSTRIP IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AS TO BE DESTROYED IN THE CRASH SEQUENCE AND CONSUMED BY THE POST CRASH FIRE. THE AIRPLANE'S MAIN LANDING GEAR COMPRESSED, SPREAD FOLDED UNDERNEATH THE WING/FUSELAGE. FUSELAGE OF THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SEVERE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE LOW AIRSPEED LOW ANGLE IMPACT. THE PROPELLER WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED ALONG WITH THE NOSE CONE. THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE TAIL AND RIGHT WING (UPWIND) WAS CONSUMED IN THE POST ACCIDENT FIRE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES WHO INITIALLY REFUSED TREATMENT AND WAS RELEASED AT THE SCENE BY FIRST RESPONDERS. AIRMAN LATER WENT TO THE HOSPITAL WITH MINOR INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.