Aero-Ace CE 1 accident near Cottonwood, Arizona, June 26, 2017
On June 26, 2017 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1983 Aero-Ace CE 1, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N473CQ, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Cottonwood, Arizona (Cottonwood airport). It was a flight test 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 maintain directional control during takeoff in gusting crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2017 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cottonwood, Arizona · Cottonwood · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero-Ace CE 1, built 1983, amateur-built
- Registration
- N473CQ · no longer on the register · serial PARD-1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, immediately after takeoff, the airplane drifted hard to the right. He applied left aileron and left rudder to no avail. Subsequently, the right wing and landing gear impacted the ground, and the airplane came to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system about 14 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 200° at 15 knots, gusting to 22 knots. The pilot was departing on runway 32. As a recommendation, the pilot reported that a higher takeoff speed would have helped him better control the airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 850 hours in all; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 750 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 14, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 782 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 8, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65 (piston); 6,300 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P52 Cottonwood AZ at 11:00 pm
- Destination: P52 Cottonwood AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,252 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from KSEZ, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 29, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.