Cessna 207 accident near Fruita, Colorado, December 10, 1997
On December 10, 1997 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 207, registered N91002, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fruita, Colorado. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons .
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 10, 1997 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fruita, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207 · all 207s on the register
- Registration
- N91002 · registry record · serial 20700003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he did not visually check the fuel but 'stuck his finger in the fuel tank and felt fuel' (in his accident report, however, he said he visually inspected the fuel). He departed North Las Vegas Airport. When the airplane was approximately 18 miles west of Grand Junction, the engine lost power, forcing the pilot to land in an onion field. The airplane struck a pile of onions and nosed over. The pilot said there was 62 gallons of fuel on board the airplane. According to the Airplane Owner's Manual, standard tanks hold 65 gallons (58 gallons usable). The pilot said he cruised at 9,500 feet msl, used a power setting of 18-19 inches of manifold pressure and 2300 rpm, and leaned the mixture. According to the Cessna 207 cruise performance chart for 10,000 feet, the engine should have developed between 48 and 51 percent of its rated horsepower (300 hp) and consumed between 10.3 and 11.0 gallons of fuel per hour. This would give the airplane a range of 695 miles and an endurance of between 5.3 and 5.6 hours. The pilot's accident report indicates the airplane had been aloft approximately 2 hours, 45 minutes. An FAA inspector who examined the airplane at the accident site said the airplane had been inverted prior to his arrival. When the airplane was placed upright, he found no evidence of fuel in the fuel tanks, fuel stains on the ground, or fuel dye stains on the wings. There was no odor of fuel in the area. The pilot said that although he had flown other Cessna single engine airplanes, this was his first experience flying the Cessna 207.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 850 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 800 as pilot in command; 400 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VGT Las Vegas NV at 6:15 pm
- Destination: GJT Grand Junction CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from GJT, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.