Cessna 182E accident near Delta, Colorado, November 29, 2013
On November 29, 2013 at about 2:50 pm local time, a 1962 Cessna 182E, registered N3087Y, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Delta, Colorado (Blake Field). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s decision to attempt flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a loss of control and ground impact.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 2013 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Delta, Colorado · Blake Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182E, built 1962 · all 182Es on the register
- Registration
- N3087Y · no longer on the register · serial 18254087
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot departed from an uncontrolled airport to rendezvous with an examiner for his private pilot practical test. Weather conditions at the departure airport were overcast clouds at 600 feet and 4 miles visibility. After takeoff, the airplane impacted terrain about 2 miles from the departure end of the runway, on the extended runway centerline. The debris field was consistent with a high speed impact at a flat pitch attitude. The student pilot most likely attempted to climb through the overcast clouds and lost control, then exited the clouds in a steep dive and was attempting to recover from the dive as the airplane impacted the ground. The primary flight instructor stated the student pilot had a "go-go-go" type personality and led a fast-paced life with his business. He intended to use the airplane for his business. Further, the student pilot was concerned about getting his examination done before the airplane's annual inspection. The flight instructor subsequently learned that the student pilot was under additional personal and business stressors. The student pilot's decision to depart into poor weather conditions was most likely influenced by these life stressors, both self-imposed and external. The student pilot had 0.6 flight hours of simulated instrument training recorded in his logbook, as opposed to the Federal Aviation Administration requirement of 3 flight hours for the private pilot practical test.
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 initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Clouds › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 98 hours in all; 98 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 98 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,347 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 12, 2012; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,348 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 2,895 hours total
- Operator: Ray Veatch Agency INC
The flight
- Departed from: KAJZ Delta CO at 2:48 pm
- Destination: 99V Crawford CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 600 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.38 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from KAJZ, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
13 documents, released by the NTSB on May 20, 2014. 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 | Wreckage Diagram | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Interview with Flight Instructor | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Interview with Examiner | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Photo of Ground Impact Point and Debris Path | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo of Fuselage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo of Right Wing | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photo of Left Wing | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo of Propeller | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Cessna Aircraft – Accident Report | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 12 | GPS Factual Report | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 13 | Attachment 1 - GPS Factual Report | data file | 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.