Cessna 182 accident near Byers, Colorado, October 3, 2020
On October 3, 2020 at about 8:15 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna 182, registered N9901E, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Byers, Colorado (Sky Haven 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2020 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Byers, Colorado · Sky Haven · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 P, built 1975 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N9901E · registry record · serial 18263961
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported the engine did not provide full power when he attempted to execute a go-around. The airplane subsequently descended into a corn field and nosed over. The fuselage, and empennage both sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that he applied carburetor heat in accordance with the pilot’s operating handbook. Postaccident airframe and engine examinations did not reveal any anomalies consistent with an inability to produce rated power. The propeller damage was consistent with some level of engine power at impact; however, an exact level of power could not be estimated from the available evidence. Although the possibility of carburetor icing existed at the time of the accident, the pilot stated that he applied carburetor heat in accordance with the pilot’s operating handbook.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing
- Loss of engine power (partial) during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,942 hours in all; 360 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 664 as pilot in command; 592 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 20, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,446.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 5, 2019; 31.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CFO Denver CO at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 2,500 ft by 65 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from CFO, 16 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
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN21LA002.