Aurora Air Park Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Aurora, Colorado 80010
Thursday, July 10, 2003 12:00 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

This was to be a pre-purchase test flight. The pilot said he took off and the airplane lifted into ground effect and accelerated. He saw the international airport in the distance and elected to make an early crosswind turn. During the turn, engine noise diminished and the airplane lost altitude (the pilot opined that the engine lost power during the crosswind turn). Too low to maneuver, the pilot made a downwind forced landing in a field. The airplane touched down on its main gear. When the nose wheel settled to the ground, ground furrows sheared it off and the airplane nosed over. The airplane owner witnessed the accident and said the pilot made a premature downwind turn while still in ground effect, and "flew it [the airplane] into the ground."

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the pilot's failure to attain adequate airspeed and establish a climb resulting in a stall/mush and collision with the ground. Contributing factors were his premature turn onto the downwind leg, and the plowed/furrowed terrain.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/10/2003
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1200
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City Aurora
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80010
Event Date Year 2003
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 394100N
Event Location Longitude 1043206W
Event Location Airport Aurora Air Park
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 01V
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 5680
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1253 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 360
Weather Observation Facility ID DEN
Elevation of weather observation facility 5431
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 10
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 31
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.25
Density Altitude (feet) 8608
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 14584
NTSB Notification Source Arapahoe County Sheriff
NTSB Notification Date Jul 10 2003 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1330
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Dec 30 2003 8:55AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\JOHB
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Denver Flight Standards District Office

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N20584
NTSB Number DEN03LA129
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Davis
Aircraft Model Zenair STOL 701
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 1417
Certified Max Gross Weight 960
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Dec 21 2002 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Guy W. Davis
Aircraft Owner Street Address On File
Aircraft Owner City Denver
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 80210
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City --
Operator State --
Operator Country --
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code 01V
Departure City Aurora
Departure State CO
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1200
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code --
Destination City --
Destination State --
Destination Country --
Specific Phase of Flight Emergency landing after takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Oct 30 2003 3:19PM
User who most recently changed record MCBM
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 17
Runway Length 4840
Runway Width 36
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --