Cortez Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Cortez, Colorado 81321
Saturday, January 3, 2004 12:12 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot executed the VOR approach to runway 21. He was heard to report passing the VORTAC outbound for the procedure turn, and crossing the VORTAC (final approach fix) inbound. Witnesses said they saw the airplane emerge from the overcast slightly high and fast. They said the airplane entered a steep left bank and turned about 90 degrees before disappearing in a snow shower northeast of the airport. They heard no unusual engine noises. Another witness near the accident site saw the airplane in a steep bank and at low altitude, "just above the power lines." Based on the witness location, the airplane had turned about 270 degrees. The witness said the wings "wobbled" and the nose "dipped," then the left wing dropped and the airplane descended to the ground "almost vertically." Members of the County Sheriff's Posse, who were at a gunnery range just north of the airport, reported hearing an airplane pass over at low altitude. One posse member said he heard "an engine pitch change." He did not see the airplane because it was "snowing heavily," nor did he hear the impact. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. At the time of the accident, the weather at the destination airport was few clouds 300 feet, 900 feet broken, 3,200 feet overcast; visibility, 1/2 statute and snow; temperature, 32 degrees F.; dew point, 32 degrees F.; wind, 290 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots; altimeter, 29.71 inches.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the pilot's inadequate planned approach and his failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in a stall. Contributing factors were low altitude flight maneuvering in an attempt to lose excessive altitude and realign the airplane for landing, and his failure to perform a missed approach, and the snow fall.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/3/2004
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1212
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City Cortez
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 81321
Event Date Year 2004
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 371810N
Event Location Longitude 1083741W
Event Location Airport Cortez Municipal
Event Location Nearest Airport ID CEZ
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 5914
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1209 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID CEZ
Elevation of weather observation facility 5914
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 900
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 300
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Few
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0.5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 0
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 0
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 290
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 15
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.71
Density Altitude (feet) 5782
Intensity of Precipitation Moderate
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 15662
NTSB Notification Source FAA Comm Center
NTSB Notification Date Jan 3 2004 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1304
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Jun 30 2004 12:15PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Salt Lake City, Utah

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N700SR
NTSB Number DEN04FA035
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? Yes
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Rockwell
Aircraft Model 690A
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 11164
Certified Max Gross Weight 10500
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 10
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Oct 28 2003 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 56
Airframe Hours 7506
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name LT Aire, LLC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4859 Falcon Dr., Hangar 6
Aircraft Owner City Mesa
Aircraft Owner State AZ
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 85215
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 W9WA
Owner has at least one certificate --
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) Positioning
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code FFZ
Departure City Mesa
Departure State AZ
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1030
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code CEZ
Destination City Cortez
Destination State CO
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record May 4 2004 12:10PM
User who most recently changed record MCBM
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location 21
Runway Length 7205
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --