Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 accident near Montrose, Colorado, April 30, 1992
On April 30, 1992 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, registered N45033, was substantially damaged in an accident near Montrose, Colorado (Montrose County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING LANDING ROLL. A FACTOR WAS: THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A DITCH WHICH RAN PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 1992 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Montrose, Colorado · Montrose County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 · all N3N-3s on the register
- Registration
- N45033 · registry record · serial 2614
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE PRACTICING LANDING, WITH WHAT THE PILOT REPORTED AS A QUARTERING TAIL WIND, CONTROL WAS NOT MAINTAINED AND THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, STRUCK A DITCH, 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,179 hours in all; 53 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,270 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 2, 1992; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R985-14B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0C05 Mack CO
- Destination: MTJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 8,497 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 43°F (6°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.
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 DEN92LA049.