Cessna 180 accident near Boulder, Colorado, July 17, 1988
On July 17, 1988 at about 1:06 am local time, a Cessna 180, registered N2815A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boulder, Colorado (Boulder Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured; 1 other was 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
- July 17, 1988 · about 1:06 am local time
- Place
- Boulder, Colorado · Boulder Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N2815A · no longer on the register · serial 30015
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, HE WAS RETURNING TO BOULDER AFTER MAKING A FLT TO ASPEN. HE SAID HE STARTED THE MORNING FLT WITH 2/3 FUEL LOAD (ABOUT 40 GALLONS) BUT DIDN'T KNOW HOW MUCH FLT TIME HE ACCUMULATED DURING THE DAY. DURING HIS VFR APPROACH TO THE BOULDER AIRPORT HE HAD A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. HE NOTICED THE LEFT FUEL TANK INDICATED EMPTY, AND SWITCHED FUEL TANKS, BUT THE ENGINE QUIT. HE STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND WAS FORCED TO PUT THE ACFT DOWN IN AN OPEN FIELD WHERE IT RAN INTO A DITCH. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT FUEL TANK HAD FUEL IN IT AND THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,017 hours in all; 4,500 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 5,099 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,045 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 16, 1988; 76 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-J11 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ASE Aspen CO
- Destination: 1V5 Boulder CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 4,100 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:15 pm from BJC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.