Amateur-built Speedster accident near Leadville, Colorado, September 24, 2020
On September 24, 2020 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1998 amateur-built Speedster, registered N525PP, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Leadville, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot’s improper maintenance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 2020 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Leadville, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Speedster NO SERIES, built 1998
- Registration
- N525PP · registry record · serial 069
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the airplane reported that the airplane used more runway than expected to get airborne. After rotating, the airplane settled back to the runway surface, then became airborne again. The airplane did not climb normally despite the throttle being in the full power position. The pilot decided to land the airplane straight ahead in a field. Upon landing, the right wing impacted a small tree, and the airplane came to rest upright, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and empennage. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed a plugged carburetor breather tube that was not impact related damage. The pilot reported that he plugged the tube with a screw 2 days before the accident, mistakenly thinking that it was a primer line. The plugged breather tube most likely created a back pressure of fuel distribution to the cylinders and resulted in partial fuel starvation to the 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 engine power (partial) during takeoff
- Fuel starvation during takeoff defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Modification/alteration › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,432 hours in all; 450 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,388 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 10, 2020; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 2,388 hours total
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.40 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from LXV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 14, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB Form 6120 Pilot Operator Report CEN20LA424 | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array CEN20LA424 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.