Amateur-built G-202 accident near Grand Junction, Colorado, February 16, 2001
On February 16, 2001 at about 10:00 pm local time, a amateur-built G-202, registered N39HR, was destroyed in an accident near Grand Junction, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadvertent entry into a spin while performing aerobatic maneuvers. A contributing factor was the pilot's lack of aerobatic experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 2001 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Junction, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built G-202
- Registration
- N39HR · no longer on the register · serial 20
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed the local airport in the experimental, homebuilt airplane for a practice aerobatic flight. When the pilot failed to arrive home, the flight was reported overdue by the pilot's family. The airplane was found the following day near the edge of a ravine on a hilly open area about 6 miles north of the airport. Examination of the wreckage indicated the airplane impacted the ground in a level attitude with minimal forward speed. During the examination of the airframe and engine, no anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. According to the pilot's logbook, he had logged 2.6 flight hours performing aerobatic maneuvers.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,451 hours in all; 63 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 8, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 105.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 13, 2000; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360-B1H (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GJT Grand Junction CO at 9:30 pm
- Destination: GJT Grand Junction CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from GJT, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.