Cessna 404 accident near Englewood, Colorado, December 30, 2014
On December 30, 2014 at about 11:29 am local time, a 1980 Cessna 404, registered N404MG, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Englewood, Colorado (Centennial airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of power to the right engine for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examination and teardown and the pilot’s failure to properly configure the airplane for single-engine flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 30, 2014 · about 11:29 am local time
- Place
- Englewood, Colorado · Centennial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 404, built 1980 · all 404s on the register
- Registration
- N404MG · no longer on the register · serial 404-0813
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting an early morning repositioning flight of the cargo airplane. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported to air traffic control that he had "lost an engine" and would return to the airport. Several witnesses reported that the engines were running rough and one witness reported that he did not hear any engine sounds just before the impact. The airplane impacted trees, a wooden enclosure, a chain-linked fence, and shrubs in a residential area and was damaged by the impact and postimpact fire. The airplane had been parked outside for 5 days before the accident flight and had been plugged in to engine heaters the night before the flight. It was dark and snowing lightly at the time of the accident. The operator reported that no deicing services were provided before the flight and that the pilot mechanically removed all of the snow and ice accumulation. The wreckage and witness statements were consistent with the airplane being in a right-wing-low descent but the airplane did not appear to be out of control. Neither of the propellers were at or near the feathered position. The emergency procedures published by the manufacturer for a loss of engine power stated that pilots should first secure the engine and feather the propeller following a loss of engine power and then turn the fuel selector for that engine to "off." The procedures also cautioned that continued flight might not be possible if the propeller was not feathered. The right fuel selector valve and panel were found in the off position. Investigators were not able to determine why an experienced pilot did not follow the emergency procedures and immediately secure the engine following the loss of engine power. It is not known how much snow and ice had accumulated on the airplane leading up to the accident flight or if the pilot was successful in removing all of the snow and ice with only mechanical means. The on-scene examination of the wreckage and the teardown of both engines did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures. While possible, it could not be determined if water or ice ingestion lead to the loss of engine power at takeoff.
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 engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during emergency descent
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › (general) › (general) › Failure
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,566 hours in all; 624 in this make and model; 89 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 1,917 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 22, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,681.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 15, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 8,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor GTSIO-520-M (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor GTSIO-520-M (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Key Lime Air Corporation
The flight
- Departed from: KAPA Englewood CO at 11:25 am
- Destination: KDEN Denver CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35R, 10,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: -2°F (-19°C), dew point -8°F (-22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 11:06 am from KAPA, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN15FA090.