Cessna 182P accident near Marble, Colorado, September 22, 1990
On September 22, 1990 at about 5:10 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N9643G, was destroyed in an accident near Marble, Colorado. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PRIVATE PILOT (STUDENT PILOT) TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED ABOVE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, AND INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) AND HER DELAY IN TAKING REMEDIAL ACTION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE TERRAIN CONDITIONS, HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, AND DIVERSION OF THE CFI'S ATTENTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 1990 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Marble, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N9643G · no longer on the register · serial 18263412
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WAS PROVIDING A MOUNTAIN (MTN) FLYING CHECK-OUT TO A PVT PLT. WITNESSES RPRTD THAT BEFORE THE ACFT CRASHED, IT WAS FLYING 'VERY LOW' UP THE MIDDLE OF A VALLEY TOWARD A 12,700' MTN PASS. IT THEN ENTERED A TURN & DISAPPEARED FROM THEIR VIEW BEFORE CRASHING. IMPACT OCCURRED AT AN ELEV OF ABOUT 11,200'. THE PVT PLT WAS FATALLY INJURED; THE CFI & PASSENGER RCVD SERIOUS INJURIES. THE CFI (A 95 LB WOMAN) STATED THAT THE PVT PLT WAS BIGGER THAN HER & THAT HE KEPT OVERPOWERING HER. SHE SAID HE DID NOT FIGHT HER FOR THE CTLS, BUT WOULD NOT FOLLOW HER ADVICE TO KEEP THE NOSE DOWN TO MAINTAIN A SAFE SPEED, & THAT HE WOULD NOT FLY ON THE WINDWARD SIDE OF VALLEYS. AFTER SHE DIVERTED HER ATTENTION TO LOOK AT A MAP, SHE LOOKED UP & NOTED THEY WERE IN A VALLEY WITH RISING TERRAIN ON ALL SIDES. THE PVT PLT RELINQUISHED THE CTLS & THE CFI ATMTD TO REVERSE DIRECTION, BUT THE ACFT IMPACTED THE SIDE OF THE VALLEY.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,035 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 976 as pilot in command; 682 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,750 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 10, 1990; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: S W Aircraft, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: LUX Leadville CO at 4:15 pm
- Destination: GUC Gunnison CO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from GUC, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.
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.