Cessna 150L accident near Rocky Ford, Colorado, July 8, 2005
On July 8, 2005 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N6839G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rocky Ford, Colorado (Cottonwood airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's misjudged distance/altitude. A contributing factor was the inadvertent flap retraction.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2005 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Rocky Ford, Colorado · Cottonwood · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N6839G · no longer on the register · serial 15072339
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had a history of uncommanded flap retraction, but an airworthiness inspector could find no anomalies. The pilot took off to practice touch-and-go landings. The first landing, using 20 degrees of flaps, was without incident. On the second landing approach, he used 30 degrees of flaps. The airplane began to settle and the pilot added full power and pulled aft on the control yoke. The airplane landed hard and short of the runway. The pilot closed the throttle. The airplane struck a dirt bank and nosed over. As the pilot climbed out, he noticed the flap indicator "was at about 2 degrees." In a later interview with an FAA inspector, the pilot said no discrepancies were found with the flap system and that it was likely he had inadvertently retracted the flaps.
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: 508 hours in all; 47 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 461 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,030.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2005; 2.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Rocky Ford CO at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,800 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
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.