Cessna 152 accident near Lyons, Colorado, November 14, 2004
On November 14, 2004 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N48943, was destroyed in an accident near Lyons, Colorado. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision by his intentional VFR flight into IMC, and his failure to maintain obstacle clearance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 2004 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lyons, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N48943 · no longer on the register · serial 15283391
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While descending through a layer of clouds, the airplane impacted trees and came to rest entangled with trees. According to the pilot and passenger, after performing climbs, descents, and turning maneuvers above a cloud layer, the pilot descended the airplane through the clouds. During the descent through the cloud layer, the airplane impacted trees.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,525 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 1,436 as pilot in command; 784 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 13, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air West Flight Center INC
The flight
- Departed from: 2V2 Longmont CO at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N48943 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.