Hispano Aviacion HA-200 accident near Pueblo, Colorado, June 12, 2004
On June 12, 2004 at about 1:17 pm local time, a Hispano Aviacion HA-200, registered N611HA, was destroyed in an accident near Pueblo, Colorado (Pueblo Memorial airport). 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 failure to maintain adequate airspeed resulting in an accelerated stall at an altitude too low for recovery. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in the aircraft make and model.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 2004 · about 1:17 pm local time
- Place
- Pueblo, Colorado · Pueblo Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hispano Aviacion HA-200 · all HA-200s on the register
- Registration
- N611HA · no longer on the register · serial E.14A-11
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was to take ground photographs of the airplane in flight for a promotional brochure that was being prepared for the upcoming air show season. Witnesses saw the airplane make what appeared to be a normal takeoff, lifting off about halfway down the 4,073-foot runway. It then rolled steeply to the left and the nose fell through the horizon. The airplane struck the ground, exploded, and burned. Based on pictures and wreckage proximity to the runway, the pilot's HA-200 flight instructor said he doubted the airplane could have climbed more than 200-300 feet, and speed would have been no more than 130-140 knots. According to his flight instructor, this speed would allow for shallow turns. If, however, the airplane were to make a steep bank, as witnesses described, a 180-knot airspeed would be required to sustain a 60-degree bank. If the airplane stalled, it would always roll towards the low wing. With its "almost perfect c.g. (center of gravity)," the airplane would recover from an accelerated stall after the pilot unloaded the wings. The instructor said the pilot "flew well, flew safe, and had a good command authority for his new jet. I was impressed with his command ability and attention to detail." He was "above average...an aggressive pilot in command, [who] knew the aircraft systems well." Around the fifth hour of instruction, the pilot expressed his desire to do some aerobatics. The instructor told him that "low level air show work had huge unforgiving risks involved," and that "aerobatics was totally out of the question." The instructor asked him to demonstrate a barrel roll at 12,000 feet. The instructor said that during the maneuver, the pilot lost 6,000 feet and rolled out 70 degrees off heading. The instructor then demonstrated a Cuban-8. The lesson ended by the instructor advising the pilot not to perform aerobatics in the HA-200. He suggested that he take basic aerobatic instruction in a slower, more forgiving airplane. The pilot said he would seek another instructor. The engines were later disassembled and inspected. No discrepancies were noted. Autopsy and toxicological protocols were unremarkable.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,178 hours in all; 29 in this make and model; 1,099 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 10, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 833 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 3, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 7,385 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Turbomeca Marbore II (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PUB Pueblo CO at 1:17 pm
- Destination: PUB
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26L, 4,073 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from PUB
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.