Dehavilland DH112 Venom accident near Hudson, Colorado, May 17, 2008
On May 17, 2008 at about 5:55 pm local time, a Dehavilland DH112 Venom, registered N21MJ, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Hudson, Colorado (Platte Valley Airpark airport). It was an air show or air race 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for reasons undetermined. Contributing to the damage of the airplane were the three ditches and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 17, 2008 · about 5:55 pm local time
- Place
- Hudson, Colorado · Platte Valley Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland DH112 Venom
- Registration
- N21MJ · registry record · serial 1527
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Air show or air race flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was performing a fly-over with another airplane when the engine lost power. The pilot was able to restart the engine; however, it lost power shortly thereafter. The pilot performed a forced landing to the west in an open alfalfa field. The airplane impacted several ditches resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. A postimpact fire ensued, destroying the airplane. Due to the fire damage to the engine, the reason for power loss could not be determined.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,907 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 3,690 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,962 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 13,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rolls-Royce ghost 48 mk 1 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BJC Englewood CO at 5:30 pm
- Destination: BJC Englewood CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from DEN, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N21MJ the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN08LA090.