Cessna 172RG accident near Gunnison, Colorado, July 28, 2001
On July 28, 2001 at about 1:50 pm local time, a Cessna 172RG, registered N401TA, was destroyed in an accident near Gunnison, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to attain the proper climb rate, and his improper inflight planning/decision to attempt to cross mountainous terrain at an inadequate altitude. Contributing factors were the downdraft and the pilot's total lack of experience in mountain flying.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2001 · about 1:50 pm local time
- Place
- Gunnison, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N401TA · no longer on the register · serial 172RG0142
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, after takeoff, he climbed to 9,700 feet msl in order to cross the mountains. The airplane then encountered a "300 foot updraft, and then a 2,000 foot downdraft." He decided to "land the plane without the use of the landing gear on the side of the mountain." One of the passengers said it was the pilot's first mountain flying experience. He remembered the airplane was at 80 knots and 8,300 feet as they approached a mountain. He said the pilot pulled back on the control yoke in an attempt to gain sufficient altitude to clear the peak but the airplane was slow in responding and "we literally came straight down" and "the belly [struck the ground] pretty hard." According to rescue personnel, the accident site was at 8,510 feet. The straight line distance between the airport and the accident site was 9 nm. The difference in accident elevation and airport elevation (8,510 - 7,673) was 837 feet. The computed climb rate was 93 feet per nm. Estimated airplane weight was 2,670 pounds at takeoff (maximum certificated gross weight is 2,650 pounds). The altimeter setting was 30.49 inches of mercury, and the computed pressure altitude was 7,103 feet msl. Referring to the Cessna 172RG "Maximum Rate of Climb" chart and interpolating, it was computed that the airplane was capable of achieving a climb rate of 464 fpm (feet per minute) and, at a climb speed of 79 knots, it was capable of climbing 352.4 feet per nm.
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: 265 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 234 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,269 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 19, 2001; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-F1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GUC Gunnison CO at 1:30 pm
- Destination: AUS Austin TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.48 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from GUC, 9 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.
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.