Cessna 172 accident near Englewood, Colorado, December 6, 1988
On December 6, 1988 at about 10:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6356D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Englewood, Colorado (Centennial 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
- December 6, 1988 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Englewood, Colorado · Centennial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6356D · no longer on the register · serial 17272742
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI AND HER STUDENT WERE PRACTICING LANDINGS ON RWY 10 WITH WINDS REPORTED AS 090 DEG AT 5 KTS. THE STUDENT WAS ON THE CONTROLS, FLARED TOO HIGH, AND THE ACFT BOUNCED AT TOUCHDOWN. THE CFI TOLD HIM TO ADD POWER TO RECOVER FROM THE BOUNCED LANDING. THE STUDENT ADDED FULL POWER AND ALLOWED THE NOSE OF THE ACFT TO RISE TOO HIGH. THE CFI TOOK THE CONTROLS AND LOWERED THE NOSE TO COMPENSATE. THE STUDENT THEN PULLED OFF ALL POWER AND THE ACFT LANDED HARD. THE CFI ANNOUNCED THAT SHE HAD THE CONTROLS BUT THE STUDENT STAYED ON THE RUDDER PEDALS. THE CFI WAS UNABLE TO OVERRIDE HIS INPUTS, AND THE AIRCRAFT SWERVED LEFT, DEPARTED THE RWY, AND AND STRUCK A PARKED CESSNA 210, DAMAGING BOTH AIRCRAFT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,400 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 165 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 1,350 as pilot in command; 175 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 3, 1988; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APA Englewood CO at 9:00 pm
- Destination: APA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 4,903 ft by 62 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N6356D 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.