Cessna 172M accident near Telluride, Colorado, June 19, 2002
On June 19, 2002 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N9089H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Telluride, Colorado (Telluride Regional 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 pilot not maintaining proper aircraft control resulting in a hard landing. Factors contributing to this accident were the high airspeed, the porpoise encountered during the landing, and the pilot's delayed remedial action resulting in the damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2002 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Telluride, Colorado · Telluride Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9089H · registry record · serial 17265936
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he flew the final approach at too fast an airspeed. The pilot said, "As a result of this extra speed, I porpoised on landing." An examination of the airplane revealed damage to the firewall and a propeller blade. No other anomalies were revealed.
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
Crew member
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 256 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 171 as pilot in command
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,804.3 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 22, 2002; 38.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ABQ Albuquerque NM at 2:00 pm
- Destination: ABQ Albuquerque NM
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 9, 6,870 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from MTJ, 32 miles away
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.