Czech Aircraft Works Spol Sro Sportscruiser accident near Lamar, Colorado, November 23, 2019
On November 23, 2019 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 2006 Czech Aircraft Works Spol Sro Sportscruiser, registered N595SC, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Lamar, Colorado (Lamar Muni 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 pilot's distraction due to an open canopy during final approach, which resulted in a loss of altitude and ground impact short of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 2019 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lamar, Colorado · Lamar Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Czech Aircraft Works Spol Sro Sportscruiser, built 2006
- Registration
- N595SC · no longer on the register · serial 06SC002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the approach, the canopy opened, and he was distracted "because it was like a tornado in the plane." He attempted to hold the canopy closed, and in the confusion, the airplane impacted the ground short of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. According to Federal Aviation Administration inspectors who examined the airplane after the accident, no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies were found with the canopy handle, latch, or catch.
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 approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Windows › windshield system › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 542 hours in all; 29 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 460 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 19, 2019
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 920 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 19, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912S (piston); 980 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ALS Alamosa CO at 9:00 pm
- Destination: LAA Lamar CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 5,001 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 January 30, 2020. 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 | Photos | PDF, 4 pages | 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.