Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On January 10, 1998, at 1032 mountain standard time, a Champion 7KCAB (Citabria), N5275X, was substantially damaged during landing roll at Lake County Airport, Leadville, Colorado. The private pilot, the sole occupant in the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was owned and being operated by the pilot under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight which originated approximately 32 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed.

According to the pilot's accident report, he was practicing full stop landings on runway 16. The winds were from 150 degrees at 5 knots. During the last landing rollout, the wind direction changed to a quartering tailwind. The pilot said the aircraft "drifted suddenly to the west [right] side of runway 16. A 2-3 foot snowbank was struck which stopped the aircraft, raising it over on its back."

Postaccident examination of the aircraft revealed that the vertical fin, propeller, rudder, left wing, and engine mount were damaged. The failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane. Factors were a sudden windshift from a headwind to a quartering tailwind, and the snowbank.