Skykits CORP SAVANNAH VGW accident near Hudson, Colorado, March 19, 2014
On March 19, 2014 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 2010 Skykits CORP SAVANNAH VGW, registered N508TG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Hudson, Colorado (Platte Valley Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate monitoring of his glide path resulting in a collision with a berm prior to landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 2014 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hudson, Colorado · Platte Valley Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Skykits CORP SAVANNAH VGW, built 2010 · all SAVANNAH VGWs on the register
- Registration
- N508TG · no longer on the register · serial 08-11-51-789
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing short field stop-and-go landings. On one approach to the turf strip, the airplane was too low and the main landing gear contacted a berm short of the landing strip. The nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no prior mechanical malfunctions or failures, but that a gusty wind may have resulted in a downdraft.
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
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wall/barricade › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 570 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 6,000 as pilot in command; 150 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 570 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 1, 2013; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,235 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 570 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 18V Hudson CO at 4:30 pm
- Destination: 18V Hudson CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,500 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KDEN, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN14CA166.