Cessna 172N accident near Colo Springs, Colorado, October 8, 2001
On October 8, 2001 at about 7:02 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N2364E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Colo Springs, Colorado (Colorado Springs Municipal airport). It was an instructional 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 inadequate landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the pilot's excessive airspeed on final approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 2001 · about 7:02 pm local time
- Place
- Colo Springs, Colorado · Colorado Springs Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N2364E · no longer on the register · serial 17271251
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student's approach was "a little fast" and his initial flare was "not enough." The airplane hit the runway hard with the nose landing gear first. The airplane bounced up and began to "oscillate." The pilot requested a full stop landing and told the tower that he would not continue his touch-and-go since he had had a "hard landing." He taxied the airplane off the runway and to the hanger.
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: military, student
- Flight time: 19 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,537 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 1, 2001; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: COS Colorado Spring CO at 6:58 pm
- Destination: COS Colorado Spring CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17R, 11,021 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from KCOS
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.