Amateur-built ACRO SPORT accident near Englewood, Colorado, May 9, 1987
On May 9, 1987, a amateur-built ACRO SPORT, registered N1717, was substantially damaged in an accident near Englewood, Colorado (Centennial 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).
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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
- May 9, 1987
- Place
- Englewood, Colorado · Centennial
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ACRO SPORT
- Registration
- N1717 · registry record · serial 5431521
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE COMMERCIAL PLT WAS FLYING HIS EXPERIMENTAL ACRO SPORT 1 IN THE LOCAL AREA. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF ACROBATIC PRACTICE, HE RETURNED FOR LANDING TO HIS HOME ARPT. THE PLT ACCEPTED RWY 28 DUE TO HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE WINDS WERE REPORTED AS 050 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS, A QUARTERING TAILWIND. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT TURNED LEFT AND THE PLT CORRECTED ALIGNMENT. DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST AND THE ACFT DEPARTED THE RWY TO THE LEFT, INTO SOFT GROUND, AND NOSED OVER, COMING TO REST INVERTED.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,504 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 1,631 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 174 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 27, 1986; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,350 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 4,900 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DEN87LA122.