Cessna R172K accident near Aspen, Colorado, October 18, 1987
On October 18, 1987 at about 10:08 pm local time, a Cessna R172K, registered N736KT, was destroyed in an accident near Aspen, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. 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
- October 18, 1987 · about 10:08 pm local time
- Place
- Aspen, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172K · all R172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N736KT · no longer on the register · serial R1722594
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD THAT THE FLT WAS HEADED NORTHEAST TOWARD MT YECKEL WHEN THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED WIND SHEAR & DOWNDRAFTS & WAS FORCED INTO TREES. RPRTDLY, THE ACFT WAS FLYING OVER RISING TERRAIN IN A CANYON AREA AT AN ELEV OF ABOUT 11,000' WHEN THE ACDNT OCCURRED. THE COMPUTED DENSITY ALT WAS 12,500'. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR'S MANUAL, THE PREDICTED RATE OF CLIMB FOR THAT ALT WAS 257' PER MIN.
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: 221 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 123 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,280 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 24, 1987; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360-K (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ASE Aspen CO at 9:52 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 18,000 ft; scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from ASE, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.