Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On March 28, 2002, at 0828 mountain standard time, a Cessna 210-M airplane, N29795, registered to and operated by a private individual, was substantially damaged when it impacted the runway shortly after take off from runway 33 at the Central County Municipal Airport, Buena Vista, Colorado. The airline transport rated pilot and one of his passengers were not injured and his second passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.

In a telephone interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the pilot stated that after liftoff the airplane was at about "fifty to one-hundred feet off the ground when it was suddenly knocked to the ground." He stated that he maintained directional control as the airplane impacted the runway "hard." The pilot, who had accumulated over 1,500 hours in the same make and model reported that the airplane encountered an unexpected downdraft. The pilot's encounter with adverse weather. A factor was the unexpected downdraft after takeoff.