Cessna 170A accident near Glenwood Spring, Colorado, October 23, 2004
On October 23, 2004 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Cessna 170A, registered N9176A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Glenwood Spring, Colorado (Glenwood Springs Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to use carburetor heat which resulted in the formation of carburetor ice and the loss of engine power. Related factors were conditions conducive for carburetor icing and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 2004 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Glenwood Spring, Colorado · Glenwood Springs Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N9176A · no longer on the register · serial 18937
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to the accident, the pilot had been flying for approximately 1 hour. He stated that he descended from approximately 8,500 feet msl at an engine power setting of 2,200 rpm, without carburetor heat. This descent lasted approximately 20 to 30 minutes as he flew from west to east, approximately 60 miles. The pilot entered the traffic pattern at approximately 7,000 feet msl. He applied carburetor heat, enrichened the mixture "somewhat", and reduced power to approximately 1,500 to 1,700 rpm, "prepatory for landing." The aviation routine weather report (METAR) reported the temperature as 34 degrees Fahrenheit (F) and the dewpoint as 31 degrees F. According to the carburetor icing chart, conditions were conducive for "serious icing at cruise power."According to the pilot, he was on final approach when he "decided [the] aircraft [was] too high" and added throttle to initiate a go-around. The engine did not respond to the application of throttle. The airplane impacted the roof of a townhouse, slid down and subsequently impacted the side of an adjacent townhouse causing substantial damage to the airplane.
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: 624 hours in all; 215 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 19, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,896 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 12, 2004; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental C-145-2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GWS Glenwood Spring CO at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from RIL, 19 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.
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.