Cessna 120 accident near La Salle, Colorado, January 17, 2007
On January 17, 2007 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 120, registered N1670V, was substantially damaged in an accident near La Salle, Colorado (Low Level Ag Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 clearance from the ground. Contributing factors included the pilot's intentional low pass and his misjudging his altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 2007 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- La Salle, Colorado · Low Level Ag Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120 · all 120s on the register
- Registration
- N1670V · registry record · serial 13842
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he was "dragging" the airstrip, or flying low over the runway to ascertain its condition. He allowed the airplane to get too low. The wheels contacted the deep snow and the airplane nosed over. Examination of the airplane revealed a buckled right lift strut and a crushed vertical fin and rudder.
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: 416 hours in all; 196 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 395 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,230 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2006; 130 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GXY Greeley CO at 10:00 pm
- Destination: GXY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 3,000 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 pm from GXY
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.