Cessna 172 accident near Boulder, Colorado, February 20, 2020
On February 20, 2020 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 2003 Cessna 172, registered N370SP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Boulder, Colorado (Boulder Muni 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 loss of directional control during the landing roll on the slush-covered runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 2020 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Boulder, Colorado · Boulder Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S, built 2003 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N370SP · registry record · serial 172S9501
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed from a snow-packed runway, flew locally for about 2 hours, and then returned to land. The pilot stated that, while in the traffic pattern preparing to land, the runway still appeared to be snow-packed like it was during the departure. However, the runway was actually slush covered with patches of ice due to the morning sun melting the previously hard snow, and the airplane veered left during the landing roll. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control, and the airplane subsequently impacted a snowbank on the edge of the runway and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the vertical stabilizer.
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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Perception › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: foreign licence, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 506 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 342 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 7, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,107 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 10, 2019; 91 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 4,017 hours total
- Operator: Rocky Mountain Flight Consultants Llc
The flight
- Departed from: BDU Boulder CO at 3:45 pm
- Destination: BDU Boulder CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 23°F (-5°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.52 inHg
- Observation at 6:12 pm from KBDU, 1 miles away
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 April 30, 2020. 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 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo at Accident Site | PDF, 1 page | 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.