Cessna 172 accident near Kremmling, Colorado, March 16, 2013
On March 16, 2013 at about 5:55 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N7407A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Kremmling, Colorado (Mcelroy Airfield). It was an instructional 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 2013 · about 5:55 pm local time
- Place
- Kremmling, Colorado · Mcelroy Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N7407A · registry record · serial 29507
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot, after touchdown, he thought the right wing was low, so he attempted to correct the airplane’s track with the addition of rudder and aileron, at which time, the airplane veered right and departed the runway. The right main landing gear and nosewheel hit a snow and ice berm. The nosewheel separated, and the left wing tip hit the ground. The firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 83 hours in all; 83 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,637.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 11, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 20V Kremmling CO at 5:25 pm
- Destination: 20V Kremmling CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,536 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,800 ft; scat at 3,100 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from 20V, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.