Cessna 172S accident near Limon, Colorado, February 1, 2023
On February 1, 2023 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 2001 Cessna 172S, registered N5163H, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Limon, Colorado (Limon Municipal 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 pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 2023 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Limon, Colorado · Limon Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S, built 2001 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N5163H · registry record · serial 172S8933
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that he was performing touch-and-go landings. When he added power to take off, he lost control of the airplane as it veered left. He was unable to regain control before the airplane impacted a snowbank. The airplane flipped over and came to rest inverted on the side of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on Runway 34 with wind from 350°at 4 knots.
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
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 99 hours in all; 99 in this make and model; 14.1 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Edb Air Inc
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 4,700 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from KLIC
Weather report (METAR): KLIC 012255Z AUTO 35004KT 10SM CLR M03/M09 A3009 RMK AO2 SLP255 T10281089
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 7, 2023. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | 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.