Piper PA-18-150 accident near Cortez, Colorado, October 26, 2005
On October 26, 2005 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N4055Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cortez, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, resulting in a ground loop. Contributing factors were the excessive descent rate, the obstacle (horse), the high density altitude, and the tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2005 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Cortez, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N4055Z · registry record · serial 18-8060
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he was attempting to land in a pasture next to his home when he noticed a horse near the approach end. He elected to land long to avoid the horse but realized there was not enough pasture remaining. He attempted a go-around and added full power but could not arrest the sink rate. He decided to land the airplane in the remaining pasture. He landed with power in a nose high attitude at stall speed. The left wing struck the ground, causing the airplane to rotate 180 degrees to the left, and the right wingtip dragged along the ground. The pilot said he was not use to the extra weight of a full fuel load and carrying a rear seat passenger with a 5 knot tailwind. Density altitude at the time of the accident was calculated to be 7,741 feet mean seal level (msl).
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: 1,400 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,300 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 310 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,603 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2005; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Cortez CO at 8:30 pm
- Destination: Cortez CO
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from CEZ
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.
Other NTSB records under N4055Z the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.