Piper PA-25-235 accident near Boulder, Colorado, August 16, 2002
On August 16, 2002 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N9791P, was destroyed in an accident near Boulder, Colorado. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate preflight preparation, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent loss of engine power, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the forced landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush. Factors included the changing wind conditions, the high density altitude, and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2002 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Boulder, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N9791P · no longer on the register · serial PA-25-235
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he checked his flight time and fuel gauges (including fuel low level indicator light) before takeoff. While towing a glider, he experienced fuel exhaustion. He performed a forced landing to an open field, but the wind changed from a estimated 15 to 20 knots to no wind situation when he got close to the ground. The airplane stalled from about 8 or 10 feet, hit the ground, and nosed over. The engine was crushed back, and the left wing was separated from the fuselage. The calculated density altitude was 11,361 feet.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,417 hours in all; 228 in this make and model; 242 in the last 90 days; 101 in the last 30 days; 1,361 as pilot in command; 657 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 1, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,478 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 31, 2002; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-GIAS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1V5 Boulder CO at 7:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 7:48 pm from BJC, 15 miles away
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.