Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On July 10, 2003, approximately 1200 mountain daylight time, a Davis Zenair STOL 701, N20584, was substantially damaged when it nosed over during an emergency landing at the Aurora Air Park, Aurora, Colorado. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.

This was to be a pre-purchase test flight. According to the pilot's accident report, he took off and the airplane lifted into ground effect and accelerated. Denver International Airport was in the distance and he elected to make an early crosswind turn to avoid entering its airspace. During the turn, engine noise diminished and the airplane began losing 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, crushing the vertical stabilizer. 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." 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.