Cessna 182G accident near Lamar, Colorado, January 7, 2007
On January 7, 2007 at about 2:10 am local time, a Cessna 182G, registered N2185R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lamar, Colorado (Lamar Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inability to maintain directional control resulting in an impact with a snow bank. Contributing factors include the obscured runway lights, inoperative landing lights, and the pilot's improper decision to operate an airplane with known systems deficiencies.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 7, 2007 · about 2:10 am local time
- Place
- Lamar, Colorado · Lamar Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182G · all 182Gs on the register
- Registration
- N2185R · no longer on the register · serial 18255385
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to the night landing, the pilot verified with an airport employee, that the runway lights were operational. During the landing flare to runway 26 the pilot lost visual contact with the runway due to the snow banks obscuring the runway lights. The airplane landed and veered off of the runway into the snow bank, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplane or its systems. According to several witnesses, the pilot reported to them that his landing lights were not functional at the time of the landing. Several Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) had been issued prior to the accident. These addressed 4 foot snow banks on runway 8/26, 7 foot snow banks on runway 18/36 and no braking action on runway 18/36. After the accident the airport manager issued a NOTAM about obscured runway lights.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,434 hours in all; 285 in this make and model; 106 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 1,347 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,285 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: COS Colorado Sprngs CO at 1:30 am
- Destination: LAA Lamar CO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26, 5,001 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 9°F (-13°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from LAA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.