Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On August 23, 2001, at 1530 mountain daylight time, an Aviat Aircraft Inc. A-1, N8HU, was destroyed by impact with terrain during a landing attempt at Flying M&M Ranch Airfield (known locally as Sanborn Park) near Montrose, Colorado. The two airline transport certificated pilots aboard received fatal injuries. The flight was being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight that was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan.

A witness a Montrose Regional Airport said that the airplane departed at approximately 1420, and performed approximately six touch-and-go landings. He said the pattern altitudes they flew appeared abnormal: cross wind was at approximately 200 feet (normally 400 feet), and downwind was at approximately 500 feet (normally 800 feet). The airport operations manager watched the airplane taxi by him on its initial takeoff; he said Stephen Downs was the pilot in the front seat. At approximately 1450, the airplane departed the area, flying to the southwest.

Several witnesses observed the airplane flying in the traffic pattern at the Flying M&M Ranch Airfield. It was unclear, from the witness statements, if the airplane had made one or two landings. One witness said he saw the airplane land to the north (runway 02) and taxi to the end. He said he thought the airplane stopped, but he was not sure for how long. He said he couldn't see it very well [because of vegetation]. A second witness said the airplane departed to the south (runway 20), and began a "very low, very steep turn to the right." He said, "the airplane was not going very fast, and the wings were straight up and down." He said the airplane disappeared from view, due to terrain features, and few minutes later he observed a column of smoke. Upon investigation, he found the aircraft on fire at the approach end of runway 10.

The Montrose County coroner's office determined that Marvon Hoge was in the front seat.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, Marvon Hoge (front seat occupant), was trained to fly in the United States Air Force, and then flew in the airlines. On his last Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight medical application, dated January 24, 2000, he reported that he had 20,585 hours. His personal flight logbook was never located; it was not determined when he took his last FAA flight review. The investigator-in-charge found no documentation to indicate that he had flown this make or model aircraft before. He had been trained to be a flight instructor, but his certificate expired on August 31, 1963. He was the owner of the Flying M&M Ranch Airfield.

The owner of the airplane, Stephen Downs (back seat occupant), had documented in his personal flight logbook that he had approximately 3,591 hours of flight experience. He purchased the airplane on April 9, 1993. His flight records indicate that he had approximately 343 hours in make