Amateur-built LEGACY accident near Durango, Colorado, May 1, 2012
On May 1, 2012 at about 6:35 pm local time, a amateur-built LEGACY, registered N12KX, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Durango, Colorado (Animas Air Park airport). It was a personal 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 pilot’s improper flare and subsequent aerodynamic stall, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 2012 · about 6:35 pm local time
- Place
- Durango, Colorado · Animas Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LEGACY
- Registration
- N12KX · no longer on the register · serial 130
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he lowered the landing gear and set the flaps to 30-degrees while on the downwind leg to the runway. He added that, as he lined up the airplane on final approach, the airplane drifted to the right. After the airplane crossed the beginning of the runway, the drift increased, and the pilot tried to correct back to the runway centerline. The pilot further stated that the airspeed decreased and the airplane “stalled between five and ten feet above the runway”. The airplane landed hard, slid off the runway onto a glass slope, and came to rest in an upright position. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the fuselage, including separation of the empennage section, forward of the vertical stabilizer.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 758 hours in all; 187 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 607 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 7, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ama/Expr UNKNOWN ENG (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Forever And Always LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Prescott AZ
- Destination: 00C Durango CO
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 01
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KDRO, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.