Cessna 320C accident near Englewood, Colorado, November 30, 2000
On November 30, 2000 at about 6:50 pm local time, a Cessna 320C, registered N3043T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Englewood, Colorado (Centennial 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the nose landing gear to fully extend due to a bent extension rod.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 30, 2000 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Englewood, Colorado · Centennial Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 320C · all 320Cs on the register
- Registration
- N3043T · registry record · serial 320C0043
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that when he put the landing gear down for landing, the nose wheel landing gear light remained red. He flew by the tower for status confirmation. The tower controllers reported the nose wheel landing gear down, but not fully extended. The pilot landed the airplane, and let its nose settle to the runway. The airplane came to rest on the centerline of the runway. Postaccident examination by maintenance personnel determined that a nose gear extension rod had bent during retraction; subsequently, the nose gear failed to fully extend during landing gear extension.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 224 in this make and model; 24 in the last 30 days; 3,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,050 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 25, 2000; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-470-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APA at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35L, 7,004 ft by 77 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 118°F (48°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from APA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.