Cessna 140 accident near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, May 7, 2013
On May 7, 2013 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N89983, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Glenwood Springs, Colorado (Glenwood Springs Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during the landing roll and his excessive use of right brake, which resulted in a noseover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 7, 2013 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Glenwood Springs, Colorado · Glenwood Springs Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N89983 · no longer on the register · serial 9035
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing roll, the airplane yawed to the right, and the pilot overcorrected to the left. He then applied right brake, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest in an inverted position. The vertical stabilizer and rudder were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 18, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,430.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2012
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KGWS Glenwood Springs CO at 3:30 pm
- Destination: KGWS Glenwood Springs CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.