Aero Commander CALLAIR A-9B accident near Montrose, Colorado, April 28, 1990
On April 28, 1990 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Aero Commander CALLAIR A-9B, registered N7620V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Montrose, Colorado (Montrose airport). It was a positioning 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
INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS BY THE PILOT. THE ADVERSE WIND CONDITIONS WERE RELATED FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 1990 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Montrose, Colorado · Montrose · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander CALLAIR A-9B CALLAIR A- · all CALLAIR A-9Bs on the register
- Registration
- N7620V · no longer on the register · serial 1348
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT TOOK OFF ON RWY 30 WITH A WIND FROM 210 DEG AT 25 GUSTING 35 KTS. DURING LIFT-OFF, THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED GUSTS, ENTERED A RIGHT BANK & IMPACTED ON ITS RIGHT WING TIP & NOSE. IT THEN ROTATED & SLID BACKWARDS INTO A FENCE.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,954 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 2,800 as pilot in command; 680 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 4, 1989; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: 99V Crawford CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 8,497 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 25 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from MTJ, 1 miles away
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.