Cessna 172 M accident near Aurora, Colorado, August 19, 1985
On August 19, 1985, a Cessna 172 M, registered N9880V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Aurora, Colorado (Aurora airport). It was an instructional 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 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
- August 19, 1985
- Place
- Aurora, Colorado · Aurora
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 M · all 172 Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9880V · no longer on the register · serial 17264543
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 14. HE EXECUTED A GO-AROUND BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT ALIGNED WITH THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER AND RAISED THE FLAPS. BECAUSE OF THE FLAP SWITCH DESIGN, WHEN THE PILOT PUT THE FLAP SWITCH IN THE UP POSITION, THE FLAPS RAISED TO THE FULL UP POSITION. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION FROM RAISING THE FLAPS, SETTLED TO THE GROUND AND COLLIDED WITH A DITCH.
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: student
- Flight time: 29 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,914 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 25, 1985; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 5,200 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from DEN, 10 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 N9880V 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.