Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40 accident near Eldorado Springs, Colorado, October 5, 2026
On October 5, 2026 at about 3:30 am local time, a 2012 Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40, registered N162GL, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Eldorado Springs, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 2026 · about 3:30 am local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- Eldorado Springs, Colorado · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Diamond Aircraft Ind INC DA 40, built 2012
- Registration
- N162GL · registry record · serial 40.1162
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On October 4, 2026, about 2130 mountain daylight time, a Diamond Aircraft DA-40 airplane, N162GL, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Eldorado Springs, Colorado. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. ADS-B data indicated that the flight departed from runway 29 at the Vance Brand Airport (LMO), Longmont, Colorado, about 1832. The pilot initially proceeded west and then south from LMO and maneuvered southwest of Boulder at altitudes up to 12,000 ft mean sea level (msl). He then flew about 68 miles to the northwest before reversing course, reaching altitudes of up to 15,000 ft msl during that portion of the flight. About 2036, the pilot returned to the vicinity of Boulder and maneuvered in that area between about 11,000 ft msl and 7,500 ft msl. The final ADS-B data point was recorded at 2129:39 and located about 1 mile north of Eldorado Springs. The altitude corresponding to that data point was about 7,375 ft msl. The Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (SARSAT) network detected the airplane’s emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal at 2131. Notification of that signal was received by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) at 2132. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office was notified of the active ELT signal at 2143, and a search subsequently located the accident site about 1016 the following morning. The site was in mountainous terrain about 1 mile west of the final data point at an approximate elevation of 7,360 ft. The airplane impacted rising terrain about 300 ft below a ridgeline. The airframe was fragmented. Due to the difficulty of the terrain, and for safety reasons, the NTSB did not respond to the accident site. Airframe and engine examinations will be conducted after the wreckage is recovered to a secure location.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Boulder Aviation Partners LLC
The flight
- Departed from: LMO Longmont CO
- Destination: LMO Longmont CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.33 inHg
- Observation at 9:35 pm from KBJC, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KBJC 050335Z AUTO 25003KT 10SM CLR 17/00 A3033
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 NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N162GL on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Vance Brand Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Colorado 2,860 since 1982 · 384 in the last ten years
- Colorado 7,455 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN27LA005.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.