Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

The pilot said he was attempting to depart from runway 33 when he encountered a gust of wind. The airplane veered to the left and departed the runway. The nose wheel stuck in the soft dirt and the airplane nosed over. The cowling was torn off, the firewall was wrinkled, the canopy and "roll bar" were bent and broken, the vertical stabilizer was crushed down 90 degrees at midspan, and the right wing tip was bent up.

According to the METAR (routine aviation weather report) taken at Jefferson County Airport, 7 nautical miles southwest of the accident location, winds were reported as 300 degrees at 20 knots, gusting to 30 knots. the pilot's inadequate preflight decision to depart in gusty winds, and the pilot's failure to maintain direction control during the departure roll. The high gusty crosswind contributed to the accident.