Cessna 182L accident near Dove Creek, Colorado, November 22, 1989
On November 22, 1989 at about 7:05 pm local time, a Cessna 182L, registered N42699, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dove Creek, Colorado (Dove Creek airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER FLARE BY THE STUDENT PILOT, HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN RUNWAY ALIGNMENT, AND A DELAY BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) IN INITIATING REMEDIAL ACTION, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF AIRSPEED AND A STALL/MUSH AFTER THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED OVER A CULTIVATED FIELD BESIDE THE RUNWAY. RELATED FACTORS WERE: THE CROSSWIND AND SOFT TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 22, 1989 · about 7:05 pm local time
- Place
- Dove Creek, Colorado · Dove Creek
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182L · all 182Ls on the register
- Registration
- N42699 · no longer on the register · serial 18259146
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS MAKING A LANDING ON A 4000 X 25 FOOT DIRT RUNWAY WITH A RIGHT, QUARTERING HEADWIND. AFTER THE STUDENT FLARED, THE AIRPLANE FLOATED ABOUT 10 FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE, THEN DRIFTED TO THE LEFT UNTIL IT WAS OVER A CULTIVATED FIELD BESIDE THE RUNWAY. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) TOOK CONTROL OF THE PLANE AND ADDED POWER TO GO AROUND; HOWEVER, POWER DID NOT RESPOND IMMEDIATELY. THE AIRPLANE THEN STALLED, LANDED HARD IN THE CULTIVATED FIELD, AND NOSED OVER.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 870 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TEX Telluride CO at 6:30 pm
- Destination: TEX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 4,000 ft by 25 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.