Cessna 172 accident near Greeley, Colorado, August 9, 2018
On August 9, 2018 at about 2:00 am local time, a 1997 Cessna 172, registered N20JA, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Greeley, Colorado (Greeley-Weld County 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 and safety pilot's conflicting control inputs during landing, which resulted in their failure to maintain a proper airspeed and resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the lack of communication between the pilot and safety pilot during the landing and go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2018 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Greeley, Colorado · Greeley-Weld County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 R, built 1997 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N20JA · no longer on the register · serial 17280253
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and a safety pilot were practicing instrument maneuvers, approaches, and landings at different airports during the flight. The airplane entered the traffic pattern for a practice landing at an airport. According to the safety pilot, the airplane was high and slow during the final approach. About 10 ft above ground level, the airplane "floated a little longer," and the pilot initiated a go-around by applying full throttle. During the attempted go-around, both occupants applied conflicting "correction" inputs to the control yokes; the pilot applied back pressure, and the safety pilot applied forward pressure. The airplane stalled, the left wing impacted terrain, and the airplane came to rest upright adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage and both wings. Both pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot statements were conflicting regarding the accident details and sequence of events. Based on the statements and airplane damage, it is likely that the conflicting control inputs resulted in the pilots' failure to maintain a proper airspeed and that the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall during the attempted go-around. Neither pilot reported that verbal communication was established during the landing sequence.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during approach
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during approach
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR go-around)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR go-around)
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Lack of communication › Flight crew
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Lack of communication › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Other/unknown
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Lack of communication › Other/unknown
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 164 hours in all; 161 in this make and model; 67 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 114 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 3, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 240 hours in all; 207 in this make and model; 64 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 197 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 16, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,765.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 30, 2018; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 7,236 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FMM Fort Morgan CO at 1:30 am
- Destination: GXY Greeley CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 10,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 am from GXY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 27, 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Pilot | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Safety Pilot | PDF, 9 pages | View 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.