Cessna 172P accident near Loveland, Colorado, November 16, 2004
On November 16, 2004 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N54165, was substantially damaged in an accident near Loveland, Colorado (Fort Collins-Loveland Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing and the student pilot's inadequate in-flight planning and decision making. Contributing factors include the quartering tail wind, the high airspeed, and the airport sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 16, 2004 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Loveland, Colorado · Fort Collins-Loveland Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N54165 · registry record · serial 17274897
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student stated that he was landing on runway 33. As he touched down, "the nose of the [air]plane was pointed to the right side of the runway" and his airspeed was high. He attempted to correct with rudder; however, the airplane departed the runway to the right, impacted an airport sign and continued across an adjacent taxiway. The airplane was substantially damaged. A postaccident examination of the airplane's systems revealed no anomalies. The aviation routine weather (METAR) reported the winds at the time of the accident as 130 degrees at 8 knots.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 42 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 6 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,333.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 11, 2004; 35.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BJC Denver CO at 7:00 pm
- Destination: COS Colorado Spring CO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 33, 8,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from FNL, 1 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.