Cessna 172K accident near Greeley, Colorado, July 31, 2002
On July 31, 2002 at about 10:59 pm local time, a Cessna 172K, registered N7383G, was destroyed in an accident near Greeley, Colorado (Greeley-Weld County Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the student pilot's improper handling of the airplane's controls (for reason undetermined), and the inadequate supervision of the flight instructor. A contributing factor was the high density altitude weather condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2002 · about 10:59 pm local time
- Place
- Greeley, Colorado · Greeley-Weld County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172K · all 172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N7383G · no longer on the register · serial 17259083
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot and flight instructor were departing for his third flight lesson; the density altitude was calculated to be 8,393 feet. The flight instructor said that the student began to level the airplane 5 to 10 seconds after liftoff. He said that he took hold of the yoke and assisted the student in adjusting the airplane's pitch to resume the departure climb, and then gave full aircraft control back to the student. The instructor said that he looked out of the airplane to see if there were any airplanes landing on the cross runway. Suddenly, and without warning, the flight controls went to the full forward position and the plane began to dive directly towards the runway. He said he grabbed the control yoke, but could not arrest the descent before the airplane impacted the runaway. The student pilot was taking a non-approved for flight, prescription medication.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 830 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 3 hours in all; 3 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,740 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2002; 94 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E20 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Harris Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: GXY Greeley CO at 10:59 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 6,200 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 10:45 pm from GXY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.