Cessna 172M accident near Parker, Colorado, September 11, 1990
On September 11, 1990 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N1241U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Parker, Colorado. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE DUAL STUDENT PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE AIRCRAFT POWER PLANT CONTROLS, RESULTED IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 1990 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Parker, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N1241U · registry record · serial 17266936
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT WAS GIVING TRAINING TO A COMMERCIAL PILOT WHO WAS PREPARING TO RENEW HIS INSTRUCTOR'S LICENSE. THE INSTRUCTOR WAS GIVING HIS STUDENT A SIMULATED FORCED LANDING. DURING THE DESCENT THE ENGINE WAS CLEARED ONLY ONCE. WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED FOR A GO-AROUND THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESPOND. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON UNSUITABLE TERRAIN 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: flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 550 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 480 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Vy Aviation Corporation
The flight
- Departed from: APA Englewood CO at 5:30 pm
- Destination: APA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N1241U the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN90LA185.