Cessna 195B accident near Watkins, Colorado, August 3, 1988
On August 3, 1988 at about 6:28 pm local time, a Cessna 195B, registered N195RC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Watkins, Colorado (Front Range airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was 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
- August 3, 1988 · about 6:28 pm local time
- Place
- Watkins, Colorado · Front Range · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 195B · all 195Bs on the register
- Registration
- N195RC · registry record · serial 16102
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NEW OWNER OF THE ACFT WAS RECEIVING FLT TRAINING FROM AN INSTRUCTOR (CFI) & THEY WERE PRACTICING LANDINGS. DRG A LANDING ROLL-OUT, THE ACFT BEGAN TO VEER TO THE RIGHT. THE CFI TOOK THE CONTROLS TO AVOID RUNNING OFF THE RWY, THEN TOOK OFF & FLEW ANOTHER PATTERN. ON FINAL APCH, THE STUDENT TOOK THE CONTROLS AGAIN TO MAKE THE NEXT LANDING. DURING THE ROLL-OUT, THE AIRPLANE AGAIN STARTED A SHARP RIGHT TURN. THE CFI RPRTD THAT FULL LEFT RUDDER & BRAKE DID NOT STOP THE TURN & THE ACFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED AS THE ACFT WENT OFF THE RWY. ALSO, THE LEFT WING, ELEVATOR, FUSELAGE & CABIN AREA WERE DAMAGED. THE CFI NOTED THAT THE OWNER WAS OF SMALL STATURE & THE SEAT HEIGHT WAS NOT ADJUSTABLE. THE CFI HAD WARNED THE OWNER THAT THE 'CLEVELAND BRAKES' WERE VERY POWERFUL & EFFICIENT.HE BELIEVED THE OWNER MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY APPLIED RGT BRAKE WHILE APPLYING LEFT RUDDER.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,391 hours in all; 571 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 7,341 as pilot in command; 2,722 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,701 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 29, 1988; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R-755-B2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1W1 at 5:55 pm
- Destination: APA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 8,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:31 pm from DEN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.