Cessna 172S accident near Berthoud, Colorado, February 27, 2017
On February 27, 2017 at about 2:41 pm local time, a 2005 Cessna 172S, registered N2461N, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Berthoud, Colorado. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilots to apply prompt and/or correct flight control inputs to adequately recover from the intentional aerodynamic spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 27, 2017 · about 2:41 pm local time
- Place
- Berthoud, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S, built 2005 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N2461N · no longer on the register · serial 172S10043
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and the commercial pilot receiving instruction were conducting a local training flight to practice aerodynamic spins. A review of air traffic control radar track data established that the airplane entered two aerodynamic spins during the flight. The first aerodynamic spin began at 10,300 ft mean sea level (msl), and the airplane descended about 1,000 ft before it recovered into a climb. The airplane then made a series of climbing turns until reaching 10,800 ft msl where it entered a second aerodynamic spin. The airplane did not recover from the second spin before it descended below available radar coverage at 6,800 ft msl (about 1,700 ft above the ground). Multiple witnesses reported seeing the airplane descending in a nose-down spin. One witness stated that the airplane completed about 5 turns in the spin before it descended behind a tree line into a reservoir. The airplane's Pilot Operating Handbook specified that at least 1,000 ft of altitude loss should be expected for a one-turn spin and recovery and that a six-turn spin and recovery may require more than twice that altitude loss because the airplane can develop a rapid rate of rotation and a steep nose-down pitch attitude. A postaccident examination revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation during the flight. Additionally, the examination did not identify any foreign object debris that would have limited full movement of the flight controls during the flight, and the airplane's weight and balance were within the specified limits to conduct aerodynamic spins. It is likely that the pilots did not apply prompt and/or correct flight control inputs to adequately recover from the intentional aerodynamic spin.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › (general) › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 550 hours in all
- Last flight review: August 31, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,678.5 hours in all
- Last flight review: June 30, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,703 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 12, 2017; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 5,995 hours total
- Operator: Mcair Aviation, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: BJC Bloomfield CO at 2:24 pm
- Destination: BJC Bloomfield CO
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.68 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from FNL, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
20 documents, released by the NTSB on October 10, 2018. 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.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N2461N the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.