Cessna 172 accident near Leadville, Colorado, April 23, 1983
On April 23, 1983 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N4609J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Leadville, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. 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
- April 23, 1983 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Leadville, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N4609J · no longer on the register · serial 17273653
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH SNOW COVERED RISING TERRAIN WHEN FLT WAS ATTEMPTED THROUGH A CANYON PASS. THE PLT SAID HE COULD SEE THAT THE TERRAIN COULD NOT BE CLEARED SO HE WAS TRYING TO TURN AROUND TO FLY OUT. THE ACFT STALLED IN THE TURN AND MUSHED INTO THE SNOW. THE PLT HAD LOWERED 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS AND REPORTED THAT THE STALL WARNING WAS GOING. THE PLT SAID HE SOULD HAVE CIRCLED LONGER OR CARRIED ONE LESS PERSON OR LESS FUEL. THE DENSITY ALT WAS COMPUTED AS 14,012 FT.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,975 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 91 in the last 90 days; 4,584 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 988 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 7, 1982; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-HZAD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Alpine Flight Services
The flight
- Departed from: LUX Leadville CO at 5:40 pm
- Destination: PUB Pueblo CO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.