Laurel Aero Club CASSUTT III M accident near Strasburg, Colorado, April 22, 1994
On April 22, 1994 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Laurel Aero Club CASSUTT III M, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N8871, was substantially damaged in an accident near Strasburg, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT. FACTORS WERE: A POWER FAILURE DUE TO A SHEARED ACCESSORY DRIVE GEAR, EXCESSIVE AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE, AND A SOFT FIELD.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 1994 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Strasburg, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Laurel Aero Club CASSUTT III M CASSUTT II, amateur-built
- Registration
- N8871 · registry record · serial 3C-1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ENGINE LOST POWER WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF 10,000 FEET MSL. THE PILOT'S ATTEMPTS TO RESTORE POWER WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. HE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING ON A FARM AIRSTRIP, BUT HIS ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED WERE EXCESSIVE AND HE OVERSHOT. THE PILOT LANDED IN AN ADJACENT SOFT FIELD AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE PILOT LATER REPORTED THAT THE ACCESSORY DRIVE GEAR HAD SHEARED.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 256 hours in all; 113 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 216 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 350 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 9, 1993; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-8F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 01V Aurora CO at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.