Cessna 182K accident near Durango, Colorado, April 21, 2004
On April 21, 2004 at about 11:10 pm local time, a Cessna 182K, registered N2861R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Durango, Colorado (Durango La Plata County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning and decision making. Contributing factors include the crosswind and the crosswind component exceeded.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 2004 · about 11:10 pm local time
- Place
- Durango, Colorado · Durango La Plata County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182K · all 182Ks on the register
- Registration
- N2861R · no longer on the register · serial 18258461
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing on runway 20, the pilot encountered a gust of wind, drifting the airplane to the left and off of the runway. During the ground roll, the nose wheel stuck in the soft dirt, tearing the nose wheel off and tipping the airplane onto the left wing. substantially damaging the airplane. At 1653 the METAR (Routine Aviation Weather) reported the winds as 280 degrees at 13 knots with gusts to 22 knots. At 1707, a peak wind of 270 degrees at 30 knots was recorded. According to the Cessna Information Manual for the C182, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component is 18 knots. The calculated crosswind component varied from 12 knots to 29 knots.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 616 hours in all; 83 in this make and model; 541 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,537 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 24, 2003; 109 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RMN Ramona CA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: DRO Durango CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 9,201 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 13 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from DRO, 1 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.
Other NTSB records under N2861R 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.