Cessna 172 accident near Denver, Colorado, March 18, 2020
On March 18, 2020 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 2006 Cessna 172, registered N1132W, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Denver, Colorado (Rocky Mountain Metropolitan airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's incorrect right rudder application during a touch-and go-landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control, runway excursion, and a collision with a runway sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 2020 · about 6:00 pm local time · cases in 2020
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Rocky Mountain Metropolitan · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S, built 2006 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N1132W · registry record · serial 172S10125
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, she was preparing to take off for a second touch-and-go landing and retracted the flaps and added engine power. The airplane veered left, and the pilot retarded the throttle and applied right rudder. The pilot affirmed that she "didn't supply adequate rudder," and the airplane exited the left side of the runway and impacted a runway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower left fuselage longeron.
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 takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Incorrect use/operation other cases naming the flight controls
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 106 hours in all; 104.4 in this make and model; 16.2 in the last 90 days; 1.7 in the last 30 days; 20 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 20, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,919.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 17, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 5,919 hours total
- Operator: C Flying K Aviation Llc
The flight
- Departed from: BJC Denver CO at 5:54 pm
- Destination: BJC Denver CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12R, 7,002 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 6:05 pm from KBJC, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 17, 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 | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1132W on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,686 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A 2,650 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Rocky Mountain Metro Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Colorado 2,860 since 1982 · 383 in the last ten years
- Colorado 7,486 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN20CA128.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.