Cessna 150H accident near Boulder, Colorado, April 18, 2004
On April 18, 2004 at about 1:30 am local time, a Cessna 150H, registered N105DP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boulder, Colorado (Boulder Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failed magneto and the lack of suitable terrain (lake) for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2004 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Boulder, Colorado · Boulder Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150H · all 150Hs on the register
- Registration
- N105DP · registry record · serial 150-68960
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he was approximately 300 feet in the air on departure when the engine began to run rough. The pilot said he "put a little mixture in [and] the engine started to run fine for about 5 seconds. Then the engine died." The pilot said the only place he could land was the lake. He said that as he touched down the airplane "skimmed for a few seconds and then it went over on its back." The pilot said he got out through the windscreen, got on top of the bottom of the wing, and then swam to shore. He said the airplane sank nose first about 30 seconds later. Later examination of the airplane showed substantial damage to the left wing. The airplane's engine was examined and showed the left magneto inoperative. An internal examination of the magneto showed corrosion around the points, the P-lead, and the capacitor.
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: 350 hours in all; 8 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 7, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,394.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2003; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1V5 Boulder CO at 1:15 am
- Destination: 1V5 Boulder CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8R, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.69 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 am from BJC, 10 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN04FA064.