Cessna 172S accident near Erie, Colorado, March 23, 2003
On March 23, 2003 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N3544Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Erie, Colorado (Erie Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during aborted landing. Contributing factors include the crosswind component, and the snow covered muddy terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 2003 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Erie, Colorado · Erie Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N3544Q · no longer on the register · serial 172S8903
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor was demonstrating a crosswind landing to her student. She estimated the wind to be from 270 degrees at 15 to 20 knots. After landing on runway 33, the airplane veered to the right. She applied full power in an attempt to abort the landing, but could not return the airplane to the runway centerline. She then closed the throttle. The airplane departed the runway, settled in snow-covered mud, and nosed over. The left wing lift strut was bent and the wing was buckled.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 948 hours in all; 354 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 675 as pilot in command; 658 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 27, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 2 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 569 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 3, 2002; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming I0-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Specialty Flight Training, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: BJC Broomfield CO at 10:30 pm
- Destination: 48V Erie CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 4,700 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 70 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 pm from BJC, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.