Aviat A-1 accident near Montrose, Colorado, August 23, 2001
On August 23, 2001 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Aviat A-1, registered N8HU, was destroyed in an accident near Montrose, Colorado (Private airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's intentional abrupt maneuver immediately after takeoff and the subsequent loss of aircraft control. Contributing factors were high density altitude weather conditions, and the airplane improper weight and balance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 2001 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Montrose, Colorado · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat A-1
- Registration
- N8HU · no longer on the register · serial 1202
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was observed making a slow, very steep, very low right hand turn to runway 10 (elevation7,862 feet). It was not determined if the 20,000 hour pilot had every flown this airplane before; the airplane's owner was in the back seat. The airplane first impacted terrain with its right wing tip, and then its engine. It was determined that the aircraft was over its maximum certificated gross weight at the time of the accident. The density altitude was calculated to be 11,155 feet.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 20,585 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
Other crew
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,600 hours in all
- Last flight review: August 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 495 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 23, 2001; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C1G (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MTJ Montrose CO at 8:20 pm
- Destination: 0CO6 Norwood CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 4,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from MTJ, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.