Piper PA-20 accident near Watkins, Colorado, October 9, 2002
On October 9, 2002 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-20, registered N7672K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Watkins, Colorado (Front Range 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's inability [not possible] to control the airplane during landing roll due to the failure of the left brake, and the subsequent inadvertent ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 2002 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Watkins, Colorado · Front Range · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-20 · all PA-20s on the register
- Registration
- N7672K · registry record · serial 20-493
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The assistant airport manager said the airplane was landing on runway 8. He said the airplane ground looped and exited the south side of the runway. According to his accident report, the pilot said the left brake was "not there" on landing roll, and the right brake grabbed. He said a leakage of the left brake line was discovered upon examination of the airplane which resulted in the failure of the left brake. The outboard 8 feet of the left wing was bent upward, and the tip of the left elevator was bent.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,560 hours in all; 2,520 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 8,350 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 24, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,041 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 14, 2002; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3TA Stafford KS at 4:30 pm
- Destination: FTG Watkins CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 8,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from DEN, 8 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.