Piper PA-30B accident near Englewood, Colorado, October 6, 1990
On October 6, 1990 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-30B, registered N85VL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Englewood, Colorado (Centennial 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
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 6, 1990 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Englewood, Colorado · Centennial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30B · all PA-30Bs on the register
- Registration
- N85VL · registry record · serial 1509
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING LANDING ROLL, A PROTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLE STOWED UNDER THE PILOT'S SEAT SLID FORWARD AND JAMMED THE RUDDER PEDALS CAUSING A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE GEAR COLLAPSED CAUSING THE NOSE CONE TO BE CRUSHED AND THE RIGHT MAIN WING SPAR TO BE TWISTED.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 231 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 168 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNA Santa Ana CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 10,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots, gusting 5
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:50 pm from APA, 1 miles away
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.