Cessna 172P accident near Rangely, Colorado, March 31, 2001
On March 31, 2001 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N54663, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rangely, Colorado (Rangely airport). It was a personal 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 improper use of aileron and his failure to maintain directional control during landing. A contributing factor was the direct gusty crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 2001 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Rangely, Colorado · Rangely · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N54663 · registry record · serial 17275029
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot, a student at and a member of the college's flight team, took off approximately 1745 to practice crosswind takeoffs and landings in preparation for the upcoming National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) competition. According to the chief pilot, the private pilot made a normal crosswind landing on runway 24. There was an estimated 10 to 15 knot direct right crosswind. When the airplane touched down, the pilot relaxed aileron input. The airplane began "wheel barrowing," the pilot lost directional control, and the airplane exited the left side of the runway, striking a taxiway sign.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 245 hours in all; 173 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 107 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 29, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,088 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 26, 2001; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4V0 Rangely CO
- Destination: Rangely CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 6,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
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.