Cessna 172 accident near Englewood, Colorado, August 8, 2020
On August 8, 2020 at about 11:40 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna 172, registered N79110, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Englewood, Colorado (Centennial Airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot misjudged the landing flare which resulted in a loss of control and a hard bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 2020 · about 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- Englewood, Colorado · Centennial Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 N, built 1976 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N79110 · no longer on the register · serial 17268131
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was on a local solo flight when he misjudged the landing flare and the airplane ballooned before it landed hard on the runway. The student pilot stated that the airplane bounced at least 3 times, with each subsequent bounce harder than the previous bounce. The student pilot reported that he eventually lost directional control of the airplane before it came to a stop in the grass area beside the runway. The airplane’s lower fuselage structure was buckled resulting in substantial damage. The student pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 21 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,231.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 7, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 8,029 hours total
- Operator: Aspen Flying Club
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17R, 7,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from APA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on July 21, 2021. 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 | Pilot Statement (Email) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Security Camera Footage (Tower 2 Camera) | M4V file | Download |
| 4 | Security Camera Footage (Tower 3 Camera) | M4V file | Download |
| 5 | Security Camera Footage (Tower 4 Camera) | M4V file | Download |
| 6 | Photos | PDF, 2 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.