Honda Aircraft CO LLC HA-420 accident near Buena Vista, Colorado, March 6, 2023
On March 6, 2023 at about 1:09 am local time, a 2022 Honda Aircraft CO LLC HA-420, registered N118CX, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Buena Vista, Colorado (Central Colorado Regional Airp airport). It was a business 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 inability to maintain directional control during landing with a gusting left crosswind resulting in the runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 6, 2023 · about 1:09 am local time
- Place
- Buena Vista, Colorado · Central Colorado Regional Airp · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Honda Aircraft CO LLC HA-420, built 2022 · all HA-420s on the register
- Registration
- N118CX · registry record · serial 42000231
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was coming into the airport to land following a cross-country flight. The pilot reported they checked the weather, entered the current conditions in the Garmin Control Unit, and received the results they expected for the RNAV approach to runway 33. The airport manager came on the radios and reported the winds as 280o at 8 knots, gusting to 19 knots. The crew captured the glidepath before the final approach fix and the co-pilot called out speeds to touchdown, the last being 115 kts. The touchdown was normal, but then the airplane experienced a strong yaw to the left from a wind gust. The pilot attempted to steer the airplane back, but the airplane went off the left side of the runway, struck a taxiway sign, and came to a stop with the nose of the airplane facing the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left inboard wing and lower left fuselage. The crew reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the airplane was landing on runway 33 with reported winds 280o at 8 knots with gusts to 24 knots. Following the accident, the company put in place stricter crosswind component limits for its’ fleet of airplanes.
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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,650 hours in all; 67 in this make and model; 67 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days; 3,157 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 17, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,844.9 hours in all; 181.6 in this make and model; 111.1 in the last 90 days; 47.7 in the last 30 days; 4,501 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 23, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 486 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 23, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 10,900 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric HF-120 (turbojet); 400 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric HF-120 (turbojet); 486 hours total
- Operator: G C Aviation, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: MRY Monterey CA at 11:26 pm
- Destination: AEJ Buena Vista CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 33, 8,303 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 280° at 8 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.83 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from KAEJ, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KAEJ 060055Z AUTO 28008G24KT 10SM CLR 03/M16 A2983 RMK AO2 T00301162
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on August 31, 2023. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Copilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Company's Changes to HA-420 Crosswind Limits | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Company's New HA-420 Crosswind Performance Chart | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photograph | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 CEN23LA134.