Cessna 152 accident near Karval, Colorado, June 27, 2000
On June 27, 2000 at about 8:09 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N46935, was destroyed in an accident near Karval, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering. Contributing factors were the pilot's inadvertent flight into the clouds, and his becoming spatially disorientated.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2000 · about 8:09 pm local time
- Place
- Karval, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N46935 · no longer on the register · serial 15283146
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was non-instrument rated. He told the FBO owner, just prior to takeoff, that he was planning to only practice some touch-and-go landings due to the bad weather in the area. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane was observed to depart the traffic pattern and fly southbound. Approximately 50 minutes later, the pilot began squawking 7700 on his transponder, and told FAA flight watch that he was in some clouds, and was having difficulty flying the airplane. The airplane's wreckage debris was found over an 800 foot path, in an open field. A witness stated that at the time of the accident there were heavy rain showers in the area, making visibility very poor.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 735 hours in all; 735 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,919 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 9, 2000; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: A50 Ellicott CO at 7:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 142°F (61°C), dew point 131°F (55°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:09 pm from COS, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.