Champion 7GCAA accident near Cortez, Colorado, October 1, 1985
On October 1, 1985 at about 9:52 pm local time, a Champion 7GCAA, registered N9614S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cortez, Colorado. It was a business 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 1, 1985 · about 9:52 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
- Champion 7GCAA · all 7GCAAs on the register
- Registration
- N9614S · registry record · serial 46
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER 3.9 HRS FLT TIME ON A X-COUNTRY FLT FROM CHEYENNE, WY, TO CORTEZ, CO, THE PLT EXPERIENCED AN ENG FAILURE DUE TO FUEL EXAHUSTION. HE EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING IN A MOUNTAIN MEADOW THAT WAS NOT ADEQUATE IN LENGTH FOR THE LANDING. THE ACFT IMPACTED TREES ON LANDING ROLL AT APRX 10 MPH.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,417 hours in all; 23 in the last 90 days; 2,291 as pilot in command; 1,389 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 815 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 5, 1985; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CYS Cheyenne WY at 6:20 pm
- Destination: CEZ Cortez CO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 pm from CEZ, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N9614S 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 DEN86LA001.