2000 Mccoy Genesis accident near Fort Collins, Colorado, November 22, 2000
On November 22, 2000 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 2000 Mccoy Genesis, registered N9931W, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Collins, Colorado. It was a flight test 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
Failure of an airframe stringer due to improper construction by the builder/pilot which rendered the aircraft uncontrollable. A factor was failure by the builder pilot to follow procedures and secure the engine prior to deploying the aircraft recovery parachute.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 22, 2000 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Collins, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- 2000 Mccoy Genesis
- Registration
- N9931W · no longer on the register · serial 075
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While the pilot/builder was conducting the 28th test flight following construction of the homebuilt aircraft, witnesses observed the aircraft flying in a westerly direction about 1,500 feet above the surface. The witnesses said the wings appeared to fold up and the aircraft descended vertically and impacted the ground in a open field trailing a streamed parachute. Investigation revealed the aircraft had been equipped with an aircraft recovery parachute and it had been activated by the pilot/builder. During deployment, the parachute had gone through the propeller and sheared off all the propeller blades. It also revealed a structural failure in the airframe where the pilot had drilled multiple holes at the left horizontal stabilizer attach point. The failure allowed the horizontal and vertical stabilizer to be displaced over the top of the aircraft. The aircraft was of a pusher propeller design and research into the parachute system provided information that in pusher propeller aircraft installations, the engine must be secured prior to the deployment of the parachute to prevent the parachute from becoming entangled in the propeller. The parachute shroud lines and Kevlar retention strap were wrapped around the propeller shaft and hub preventing the parachute from opening.
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
- Flight time: 161 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 96 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 12, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 31 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 24, 2000; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru E81 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FNL Fort Collis CO at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from FNL, 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.