Cessna 172S accident near Broomfield, Colorado, September 30, 2004
On September 30, 2004 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N802SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Broomfield, Colorado (Jeffco airport). It was an instructional 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 improper flare, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 2004 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Broomfield, Colorado · Jeffco · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N802SP · registry record · serial 172S8107
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was a CFI candidate and his flight instructor was preparing him to take the flight instructor practical test. He was asked to demonstrate a short field landing. The airplane crossed the threshold at 65 KIAS (knots indicated airspeed) and was flared about 60-61 KIAS. The nose "suddenly pitched down" and the airplane struck the runway "hard." The pilot added full power, retracted the flaps to 20 degrees, and rejected the landing. The airplane vibrated as it climbed 300-400 feet per minute to pattern altitude. The flight instructor assumed control of the airplane, declared an emergency, and told control tower personnel that the elevator was jammed. The instructor used power to control altitude and flew a 2-mile final approach. The engine was secured just before touchdown, and a successful landing was made. Postaccident examination disclosed the propeller had struck the runway, and the nose wheel was crooked. The nose strut was pushed back into the firewall. The elevator and elevator trim, which had been set for landing, were also jammed. No evidence of a pre-existing failure of the elevator control was found.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,044 hours in all; 1,600 in this make and model; 126 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 1,993 as pilot in command; 1,544 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 20, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 441 hours in all; 236 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 332 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 8, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,573 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 4, 2004; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mcair Aviation, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: BJC Broomfield CO at 8:00 pm
- Destination: BJC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11R, 7,004 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 7:48 pm from BJC
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.