Cessna 172RG incident near Broomfield, Colorado, December 5, 1991
On December 5, 1991 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172RG, registered N9320D, suffered minor damage in an incident near Broomfield, Colorado (Jefferson County airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR PIVOT ASSEMBLY DUE TO DUCTILE TORSIONAL OVERSTRESS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 5, 1991 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Broomfield, Colorado · Jefferson County · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N9320D · registry record · serial 172RG1119
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
UPON RETURN FROM A LOCAL AREA INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR FAILED TO EXTEND. AFTER REPEATED UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO EXTEND AND LOCK THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, THE PILOT MADE AN INTENTIONAL WHEELS UP LANDING. POST INCIDENT EXAMINATION DISCLOSED THE LANDING GEAR PIVOT ASSEMBLY FAILED IN DUCTILE TORSIONAL OVERSTRESS. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FATIGUE OR PREEXISTING CRACKS.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 510 hours in all; 85 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 430 as pilot in command; 150 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,458 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 4, 1991; 76 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-F1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Airwest Flying Club
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 9,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N9320D 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 DEN92IA014.