- Date
- July 13, 2025, 08:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Mancos, CO
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N970SVScott Vincin Just Acft Highlander
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20250713015519A
- Case key
- 200534
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The airplane’s reduced climb performance during takeoff in mountainous terrain, which resulted in the airplane’s inability to climb and impact with terrain.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he departed from a down sloping, grass airstrip in mountainous terrain. About 20 to 40 ft above the ground after takeoff, the airplane was unable to climb and descended to the ground, which resulted in the right wing impacting the ground. The airplane then veered right, nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that he operated the airplane from this strip in similar conditions without issue. He thought there might have been a downdraft or temperature inversion that reduced the airplane’s climb performance.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N970SV
- Reported as
- Scott Vincin Just Acft Highlander
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- JA720-04-24
- Built
- 2024
- Airframe hours
- 78
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · February 27, 2025
- Departed
- PVT · Mancos, CO
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- Private, runway 36, 1,150 × 60 ft, dirt
- Equipment
- Unknown
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Private, Commercial, Foreign
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 13, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 10,823 total · 38.3 in this make and model · 6,500 as pilot in command · 38.3 in the last 90 days · 20.4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 2 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 52 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.