Rockwell 690A accident near Cortez, Colorado, January 3, 2004
On January 3, 2004 at about 7:12 pm local time, a Rockwell 690A, registered N700SR, was destroyed in an accident near Cortez, Colorado (Cortez Municipal airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate planned approach and his failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in a stall. Contributing factors were low altitude flight maneuvering in an attempt to lose excessive altitude and realign the airplane for landing, and his failure to perform a missed approach, and the snow fall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 3, 2004 · about 7:12 pm local time
- Place
- Cortez, Colorado · Cortez Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 690A
- Registration
- N700SR · registry record · serial 11164
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot executed the VOR approach to runway 21. He was heard to report passing the VORTAC outbound for the procedure turn, and crossing the VORTAC (final approach fix) inbound. Witnesses said they saw the airplane emerge from the overcast slightly high and fast. They said the airplane entered a steep left bank and turned about 90 degrees before disappearing in a snow shower northeast of the airport. They heard no unusual engine noises. Another witness near the accident site saw the airplane in a steep bank and at low altitude, "just above the power lines." Based on the witness location, the airplane had turned about 270 degrees. The witness said the wings "wobbled" and the nose "dipped," then the left wing dropped and the airplane descended to the ground "almost vertically." Members of the County Sheriff's Posse, who were at a gunnery range just north of the airport, reported hearing an airplane pass over at low altitude. One posse member said he heard "an engine pitch change." He did not see the airplane because it was "snowing heavily," nor did he hear the impact. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. At the time of the accident, the weather at the destination airport was few clouds 300 feet, 900 feet broken, 3,200 feet overcast; visibility, 1/2 statute and snow; temperature, 32 degrees F.; dew point, 32 degrees F.; wind, 290 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots; altimeter, 29.71 inches.
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, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,872 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 1,809 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 15, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,506 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 28, 2003; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE331-5-251K (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ Mesa AZ at 5:30 pm
- Destination: CEZ Cortez CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21, 7,205 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 900 ft; a few clouds at 300 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 7:09 pm from CEZ
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.