Cessna 180 accident near Marble, Colorado, July 14, 2007
On July 14, 2007 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N3196D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marble, Colorado (None airport). It was a personal 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 misjudging his altitude and his failure to maintain control of the airplane, resulting in a hard landing. Factors contributing to the accident were the excessive descent rate, and the pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2007 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Marble, Colorado · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N3196D · no longer on the register · serial 31994
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot made his landing approach to runway 08 at 65 mph IAS and "moderate" power. He misjudged his altitude and was too high. He crossed the runway threshold approximately 35 feet above, applied full flaps, and reduced power to idle. The airplane sank and "a small amount" of power was applied initially. Then, "significant power" was applied. The airplane impacted on the runway 150 feet past the threshold and bounced. It contacted the runway again in a right wing-low attitude, swerved 90 degrees to the right, and skidded to a halt.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command; 375 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 200 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,837 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2006; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RIL Rifle CO at 1:00 pm
- Destination: NONE Marble CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 3,800 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.30 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from RIL, 46 miles away
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 N3196D 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.