Cessna A185F accident near Lake City, Colorado, August 19, 2007
On August 19, 2007 at about 6:40 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N185MR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake City, Colorado (Castle Pines 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 improper preflight planning, his inability to attain short field takeoff performance, and his intentional maneuvering of the airplane into bushes and a fence during the aborted takeoff. Factors contributing to the accident were 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
- August 19, 2007 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Lake City, Colorado · Castle Pines · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N185MR · registry record · serial 18503653
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was taking off on runway 04 (3,200 feet by 50 feet, gravel, down-sloping). The pilot stated that he leaned the mixture for altitude performance and added 20 degrees of flaps prior to the takeoff roll. "At mid-field the liftoff appeared normal" and the "airplane was beginning to become light on it's wheels and about to begin flying in ground effect." He said, "However, in the remaining 700 to 1,000 feet, at maximum acceleration, the aircraft appeared to be pushed back down to the ground. The pilot said he executed "emergency abort procedures which consisted of directing the aircraft toward bushes at the end of the runway to absorb the impact, pulling the fuel cut-off to stop the flow of fuel, and turning off the magnetos and ignition switch to reduce the chance of fire." The airplane impacted bushes and a fence at the departure end of the runway causing substantial damage to the wings, left main landing gear, and left horizontal stabilizer . The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplane or its systems. Recorded temperatures in the area, at the time of the accident, ranged from 70 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit (F) with dew points of 44 to 46 degrees F. According to the pilot, the temperature at the airport was 51 degrees F. Density altitude ranges were calculated to be from 10,000 to 12,200 feet. The pilot stated that there was 10 to 15 knots of tailwind during the takeoff. According to airport information, the runway is 3,200 feet in length and slopes down 50 feet. Forty foot trees are located at the end of the runway. Performance data showed a required takeoff distance of 3,200 to 3,300 feet on a paved runway, to clear a 50 foot obstacle at the end of the runway.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,591 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 89 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2007; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Lake City CO at 6:40 pm
- Destination: Corpus Christi TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 3,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.44 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from TEX
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.