Cessna 182 accident near Frederick, Colorado, January 16, 1990
On January 16, 1990 at about 10:58 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N5310B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Frederick, Colorado. It was a personal 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
A PARTIAL ENGINE POWER LOSS INDUCED BY STUCK INTAKE VALVES. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN IN WHICH THE FORCED LANDING WAS PERFORMED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 1990 · about 10:58 pm local time
- Place
- Frederick, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N5310B · no longer on the register · serial 33310
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING INITIAL CLIMB, THE ENGINE BACKFIRED AND LOST PARTIAL POWER. HE SAID HE MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A SOFT FIELD. THE PLANE SLID UNDER POWER LINES, DOWN AN EMBANKMENT AND CAME TO REST NOSE DOWN ON A ROAD. A POST-ACCIDENT ENGINE RUN REVEALED TWO OR MORE STUCK VALVES, RESULTING IN THE ENGINE PRODUCING PARTIAL POWER.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,600 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,360 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1989; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CO58 Frederick CO at 10:55 pm
- Destination: CO58
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.