Mooney M20B accident near Glenwood Spring, Colorado, August 25, 1990
On August 25, 1990 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Mooney M20B, registered N74562, was substantially damaged in an accident near Glenwood Spring, Colorado (Glenwood Springs airport). 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
WRONG RUNWAY SELECTION BY THE PILOT, RESULTING IN AN OVERRUN AND A COLLISION WITH A FENCE DURING LANDING ROLL. THE PREVAILING TAILWIND, RUNWAY INFORMATION AND MARKINGS, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT ARE FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 1990 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Glenwood Spring, Colorado · Glenwood Springs · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20B · all M20Bs on the register
- Registration
- N74562 · registry record · serial 1873
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PILOT LANDED MIDFIELD WITH A GUSTING TAILWIND. THE PLANE WAS UNABLE TO STOP ON THE 3,000 FOOT ASPHALT RUNWAY, AND OVERRAN INTO A SOFT TERRAIN. THE PLANE WAS DAMAGED WHEN IT RAN THROUGH A FENCE AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED IN THE SOFT TERRAIN. THE FIREWALL WAS BENT. THE PILOT SAID HE FLEW THE TAIL WIND LANDING BECAUSE HE HAD READ A SIGN ON THE AIRPORT WARNING OF 'LEGAL' CONSEQUENCES OF LANDING ON OTHER THAN RUNWAY 32, WHICH HE TOOK TO MEAN REGARDLESS OF WIND DIRECTION.
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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 408 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 278 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GNB Granby CO at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,300 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 17 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:35 am
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.
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 DEN90LA190.