Champion 7KCAB accident near Leadville, Colorado, January 10, 1998
On January 10, 1998 at about 5:32 pm local time, a Champion 7KCAB, registered N5275X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Leadville, Colorado (Lake County 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane. Factors were a sudden windshift from a headwind to a quartering tailwind, and the snowbank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 10, 1998 · about 5:32 pm local time
- Place
- Leadville, Colorado · Lake County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7KCAB · all 7KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N5275X · registry record · serial 177
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing full stop landings on runway 16. The wind was from 150 degrees at 5 knots. During the last landing rollout, the wind direction changed to a quartering tailwind. The aircraft veered to the right side of runway 16, struck a snowbank, and nosed over. The vertical fin, propeller, rudder, left wing, and engine mount were damaged.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 154 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 107 as pilot in command; 70 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1997; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LXV at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 6,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from LXV
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.