Cessna 162 accident near Las Animas, Colorado, May 14, 2019
On May 14, 2019 at about 10:10 pm local time, a 2011 Cessna 162, registered N5213Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Las Animas, Colorado (Private airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to land on soft, muddy terrain, which resulted in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2019 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Las Animas, Colorado · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 162, built 2011 · all 162s on the register
- Registration
- N5213Z · no longer on the register · serial 16200040
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing the airplane on his 1,000-ft-long private grass airstrip in light and variable wind conditions when the airplane nosed over upon touchdown, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and empennage. Photos provided by law enforcement personnel who responded to the site showed ground scars consistent with the airplane having touched down on soft, muddy terrain and subsequently nosing over.
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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 22,580 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: unk
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,324 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental Motors O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Las Animas CO
- Destination: PVT Las Animas CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 1,000 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KLHX, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 9, 2019. 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 | Memorandum for Record – Communication Summary - Pilot's Daughter | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Maps or Charts of Accident Area - Runway About 143°, 1000 Ft | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos - Supplied by the Bent County Sheriff's Office | PDF, 5 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.