NTSB Factual Report

On July 31, 2018, about 1130 mountain daylight time, a Buchanan Kitfox IV experimental airplane, N125TY, impacted a cableway while maneuvering at low altitude over the Colorado River near Loma, Colorado. The private pilot sustained minor injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and the flight was operated on a visual flight rules flight plan. The airplane departed the Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT), Grand Junction, Colorado, about 1100, and was destined for Cedar City, Utah.

According to the pilot, he departed GJT and elected to fly at low altitude over the Colorado River. After over passing a group of river rafters about 500 ft above ground level, the pilot "dropped [the airplane] low to the river." Shortly after descending, the airplane's vertical stabilizer struck a cableway (owned and maintained by the US Geological Survey (USGS)) that crossed over the river. The pilot lost control of the airplane, and the airplane impacted the side of the river canyon. The airplane came to rest partially submerged in the river, and the pilot was rescued by passing river rafters (Figure 1).

According to the USGS, the cableway is supported by two fixed A-frame structures located on the sides of the riverbank. The center of the cable to the water surface is 32 ft (Figure 2).