Amateur-built Cozy Mark IV accident near Erie, Colorado, January 26, 2003
On January 26, 2003 at about 10:14 pm local time, a amateur-built Cozy Mark IV, registered N320FR, was destroyed in an accident near Erie, Colorado (Tri-County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during landing. Contributing factors were the high crosswinds and the gusts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 26, 2003 · about 10:14 pm local time
- Place
- Erie, Colorado · Tri-County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Cozy Mark IV
- Registration
- N320FR · registry record · serial Rothrock 001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While landing on runway 33, the airplane encountered a strong crosswind. The airplane departed the right side of the runway. The pilot said the wing caught and the airplane flipped over on its back. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. Approximately 27 minutes prior to the accident, the reported winds at the Jefferson County Airport, Broomfield, Colorado, 197 degrees at 9 nautical miles from the accident site, was 280 degrees at 20 knots with gusts of 26 knots.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 2,200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 125 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 22, 2002; 48.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7CO0 Erie CO
- Destination: 48V Erie CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 4,700 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 20 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 8:47 pm from BJC, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.