Cessna 172 accident near Boulder, Colorado, March 7, 1982
On March 7, 1982 at about 4:40 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N4899F, was destroyed in an accident near Boulder, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 1982 · about 4:40 am local time
- Place
- Boulder, Colorado
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N4899F · registry record · serial 17273098
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ENGINE LOST POWER WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS CRUISING AT 7500 FT MSL AT NIGHT. DURING A FORCED LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON STEEP, ROCKY SOIL. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AND THEN NOSED OVER AFTER A SECOND TOUCHDOWN. DURING AN INTERVIEW ABOUT TWO HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT REPORTED AN INDICATION OF ABOUT 1800 RPM WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. DURING THAT INTERVIEW, HE INDICATED THAT HE MAY NOT HAVE USED CARBURETOR HEAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE ENGINE. LATER IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT HE REPORTED THAT HE "PUSHED IN CARB HEAT" WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE TEMPERATURE WAS 27 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, BUT THE DEW POINT WAS NOT DETERMINED. WHEN THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS CHECKED, NO CONTAMINATION WAS FOUND. HOWEVER, DURING IMPACT, THE FIREWALL SUMP HAD RUPTURED AND THE CARBURETOR WAS BROKEN AWAY FROM THE ENGINE. AN ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED NO PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE.
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: 296 hours in all; 296 in this make and model; 94 in the last 90 days; 249 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 495 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 218 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BJC Broomfield CO at 9:20 pm
- Destination: LCC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 18,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:40 pm from BJC, 7 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.
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.