Cessna 172P accident near Monarch Crest, Colorado, August 9, 2004
On August 9, 2004 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N911JR, was destroyed in an accident near Monarch Crest, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in a stall, and his decision to conduct flight beyond the performance capability of the aircraft. A contributing factor was the high density altitude, and an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2004 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Monarch Crest, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N911JR · registry record · serial 17276224
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The two pilots we en route home after a trip to the west coast. Two witnesses, hiking near the Continental Divide, heard an airplane approaching. They saw the airplane coming towards them "at eye level." It seemed to be stationary, then it banked hard to the right and went straight down. The accident took place at an elevation of 11,418 feet msl. The elevation of that portion of the Continental Divide is 11,530 feet msl. Later engine disassembly and examination disclosed no anomalies. Weather observed at a remote AWOS facility, located approximately 1 mile east of the accident site, was used to compute an estimated density altitude of 14,300 feet msl. According to the 1984 Cessna 172P Skyhawk "Information Manual," the airplane's service ceiling is 13,000 feet.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 190 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 256 hours in all; 20 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,328 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 21, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MTJ Montrose CO at 9:25 pm
- Destination: MCK Mccook NE
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.78 inHg
- Observation at 9:31 pm from MYP, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.