# NTSB CEN25FA216: Murphy Aircraft Manufacturing Moose, N250MK, Montrose, CO, June 23, 2025 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Field · Preliminary report - Date: June 23, 2025, 10:21 local (16:21 UTC) - Place: Montrose, CO · Right behind: 63530 East Juniper Road, Montrose, CO 81401 - Coordinates: 38.519301, -107.90407 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.5193&lon=-107.9041&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 2 fatal - Status: Investigation ongoing - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Transporation Safety Board of Canada, FAA Salt Lake City FSDO, Interstate Aviation Committee, German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation - NTSB case key (mKey): 200373 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN25FA216 - NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200373/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25FA216 ## Preliminary report On June 23, 2025, about 1021 mountain daylight time, a Murphy Aircraft Manufacturing Limited Moose airplane, N250MK, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Montrose, Colorado. The pilot and the pilot-rated passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 ferry flight. The pilot had recently purchased the four-seat airplane, and the purpose of the cross-country flight was to transport the airplane to his home base at Buckingham Field Airport (FL59), Fort Myers, Florida. A Special Flight Permit, signed by a Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR-T), was signed for the airplane to fly from Westwinds Airport (D17), Delta, Colorado, to FL59. On the day of the accident, the airplane departed from D17, and flew to Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ), Montrose, Colorado, where the airplane was fueled with 100 LL fuel. According to a witness, who was on the ramp at MTJ, he observed the airplane depart from runway 31. He observed a nose-up attitude during the takeoff, and it seemed that the airplane was not climbing and was losing altitude. The witness was unable to hear the engine noise emitted from the airplane due to the environmental noise at the airport. Another witness, who was located outside in a residential area near the accident site, observed the airplane after it departed from runway 31. The airplane turned and flew in a northerly direction and the witness estimated the airplane was traveling about 50 mph and was about 150 ft above ground level. The airplane then turned east, continued to lose altitude, and impacted into bluffs behind a house. The witness did not hear any abnormal engine noises, nor did he observe any smoke or fire emitting from the airplane while it was inflight. The left wing of the airplane impacted an elevated dirt driveway, and the airplane came to rest behind a home. A postimpact fire ensued and the airplane was destroyed by the fire. The wreckage was recovered from the accident site, and it was transported to a secure location for future examination. A GoPro HERO13 camera and a Garmin D2 Mach 1 Pro watch were found in the wreckage and were transported to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory. The airplane was built from a kit in 2008. The kit manufacturer advertises the airframe as a “distant cousin” of the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver series airplanes. The airplane was equipped with a Vedeneyev M14P radial engine (360 horsepower) and a three-blade controllable pitch wood MT Propeller MTV-9-K-C/CL260-29. The airplane was also equipped with Montana Float Company 3500 Series amphibious floats. The private pilot held ratings for airplane single engine land and sea. The airline transport certificated passenger held ratings for airplane single and multi-engine land, in addition to commercial pilot privileges for airplane single engine sea. The passenger, who was actively employed as a commercial airline pilot, held type ratings for theBoeing 757 series, the Boeing 767 series, and the Douglas DC-8 series. He also held a flight instructor certificate and an airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate. The estimated density altitude for MTJ, near the time of the accident, was about 7,250 ft. ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490) (defining event); cases with it: [Blue Brent BEAR, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md?model=05625VO), [All aircraft, 1,309 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md) ## Aircraft - Registration: [N250MK](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N250MK-2026-05-23), registration cancelled 2026-05-23, S/N 001, built 2008 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Murphy Aircraft Manufacturing Limited Moose (NO SERIES) - Registry model: [Blue Brent BEAR](https://openairdocs.org/model/blue-brent-bear) (registry code 05625VO) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Vedeneyev M14P](https://openairdocs.org/engine/vedeneyev-m14p) (registry code 63601, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 001 - Year built: 2008 - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Ferry, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Departed: MTJ, Montrose, CO - Destination: FL59, Fort Myers, FL - Airport: MTJ, Montrose Regional Airport, runway 31, 7,510 × 100 ft, asphalt - Equipment: ADS-B ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 300° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 25 °F - Altimeter: 30.17 inHg - Observed at: KMTJ, 1 nm away - METAR: KMTJ 231553Z AUTO 30007KT 10SM CLR 19/M04 A3017 RMK AO2 SLP145 T01891039 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20250623007689A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250623007689A), Jun 23, 2025: Blue Brent BEAR, Montrose, CO, Destroyed, 2 fatal. The aircraft departed runway 31 and video evidence depicts that after rotation there was no positive gain in altitude. Video also shows the aircraft rose and… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.