Cessna 421B accident near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, August 16, 1991
On August 16, 1991 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 421B, registered N80RS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pagosa Springs, Colorado (Stevens Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND. A FACTOR WAS: FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND TO PROPERLY LATCH THE CARGO DOOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 1991 · about 8:00 pm local time · cases in 1991
- Place
- Pagosa Springs, Colorado · Stevens Field · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421B · all 421Bs on the register
- Registration
- N80RS · registry record · serial 421B-0895
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING TAKEOFF ROLL, THE NOSE COMPARTMENT CARGO DOOR CAME OPEN AND THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT EXITED THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A DITCH.
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: 10,083 hours in all; 278 in this make and model; 10,830 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,450 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520-H (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ralph Lowry Aircraft, INC.
The flight
- Destination: 1CT Wichita KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 5,600 ft by 150 ft
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 | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N80RS on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 421 Golden Eagle 768 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,685 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520-H 9 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Colorado 2,860 since 1982 · 383 in the last ten years
- Colorado 7,484 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/DEN91LA136.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.