Cessna TR182 incident near Fort Carson, Colorado, February 17, 2000
On February 17, 2000 at about 9:40 pm local time, a Cessna TR182, registered N155HC, was involved in an incident near Fort Carson, Colorado. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot electing to fly the aircraft with known deficiencies which resulted in a catastrophic engine failure. Factors were a connecting rod failure, and low engine oil level.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 17, 2000 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Carson, Colorado · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna TR182 · all TR182s on the register
- Registration
- N155HC · no longer on the register · serial R18201277
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on a cross country flight, a seal on the turbocharger failed and the pilot made an emergency landing at the nearest airport when the engine lost some oil pressure and smoke entered the cockpit. After inspecting the aircraft, adding 8 quarts of oil to the engine, having a mechanic cap the oil lines to the turbocharger, and wiring the turbocharger waste gate open the pilot elected to fly the aircraft to another airport for permanent repairs. While on approach, the engine failed catastrophically with a rod coming out the side of the engine casing. An emergency landing was made on a dirt road on a military reservation without further damage. According to the engine specification data, the engine had an 8-quart total oil capacity with 2 quarts minimum safe quantity in the sump. An engine examination revealed heat distress in the area where the failure occurred.
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: 1,182 hours in all; 114 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,099 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,892 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 15, 1999; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-L3C50 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PUB Pueblo CO at 9:15 pm
- Destination: COS Colo. Springs CO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,600 ft; clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from COS, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N155HC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.