Cessna 172P accident near Broomfield, Colorado, October 6, 2002
On October 6, 2002 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N65312, was substantially damaged in an accident near Broomfield, Colorado (Jefferson County 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 misjudging the clearance between the airplane and a fixed object during taxi. Contributing factors were the pilot's attention being diverted and sunglare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 6, 2002 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Broomfield, Colorado · Jefferson County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N65312 · no longer on the register · serial 17275728
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was unfamiliar with the airport and asked ground control for directions to transient parking. She was directed to an area southeast of the control tower, but the ramp was full. The pilot said her husband was talking and directing her. She asked him to be quiet but he kept talking. During the "spirited discussion," the pilot lost focus and concentration, and misjudged her relative position to a steel light post near a building. The pilot also said the sun was in her eyes. The airplane's left wing struck a pole, damaging the leading edge just outboard of the lift strut, and crushing the aft spar.
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
- Flight time: 170 hours in all; 168 in this make and model
- Last flight review: January 14, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,831 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 4, 2002; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aspen Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: APA Englewood CO at 3:10 pm
- Destination: APA Broomfield CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.32 inHg
- Observation at 3:48 pm from BJC
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.
Other NTSB records under N65312 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.