Amateur-built COZY accident near Monte Vista, Colorado, November 15, 2008
On November 15, 2008 at about 9:15 pm local time, a amateur-built COZY, registered N149CZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Monte Vista, Colorado (Monte Vista Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 2008 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Monte Vista, Colorado · Monte Vista Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built COZY
- Registration
- N149CZ · no longer on the register · serial 178
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certified flight instructor was giving instruction to a commercial rated pilot in a single-engine experimental airplane that the commercial pilot had never flown before. On the second landing, the commercial pilot failed to lower the nose wheel in a timely manner onto the ground and the airplane became airborne. The airplane veered to the right in a 20-degree bank before the instructor was able to take the controls and level the wings. The airplane touched down a second time and traveled off the runway in the dirt before the nose gear separated and the airplane struck a berm. The commercial pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane or engine.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,700 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 125 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: October 22, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,245 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 1,064 as pilot in command; 678 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 263 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 18, 2008
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KMVI Monte Vista CO at 7:00 pm
- Destination: KMVI Monte Vista CO
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 02, 5,900 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.