- Date
- June 24, 2005, 15:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Dove Creek, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N42HYAviat A-1B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20050624013159A
- Case key
- 61810
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 pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during initial climb which resulted in an inadvertant stall and impact with terrain.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane departed runway 01 with a "slight tailwind," and the flaps extended 10 degrees. Approximately 50 feet agl, the pilot raised the flaps to increase airspeed, and the airplane "started to lose lift." Approaching the end of the runway, the airplane was "slowly losing altitude and the airspeed was approximately 5 knots above the stall speed." With rising terrain ahead, the pilot executed a slow 180 degree left turn back toward the airport. During the turn, the airspeed decreased and the airplane stalled. Subsequently, the airplane impacted terrain in a nose low attitude. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On June 24, 2005, approximately 1545 mountain daylight time, an Aviat A-1B single-engine airplane, N42HY, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain following a loss of control during initial takeoff climb from the Dove Creek Airport, Dove Creek, Colorado. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was registered to Clear Blue Sky, LLC, Clifton, Colorado, and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was destined for Grand Junction, Colorado.
According to the pilot, he departed runway 01 with a "slight tailwind," and the flaps extended 10 degrees. Approximately 50 feet agl, the pilot raised the flaps to increase airspeed, and the airplane "started to lose lift." Approaching the end of the runway, the airplane was "slowly losing altitude and the airspeed was approximately 5 knots above the stall speed." With rising terrain ahead, the pilot executed a slow 180 degree left turn back toward the airport. During the turn, the airspeed decreased and the airplane stalled. Subsequently, the airplane impacted terrain in a nose low attitude. Examination of the airplane by the pilot revealed the firewall was buckled. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N42HY
- Reported as
- Aviat A-1B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2202
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1P, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Clear Blue Sky LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 8V6 · Dove Creek, CO
- Destination
- GJT · Grand Junction, CO
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 943 total · 53 in this make and model · 24 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.