Cessna 172P accident near Woody Creek, Colorado, October 24, 1992
On October 24, 1992 at about 4:31 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N63016, was destroyed in an accident near Woody Creek, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed, 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AIRCRAFT CLIMB PERFORMANCE EXCEEDED. FACTORS WERE: THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN MOUNTAIN FLYING, AND THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 1992 · about 4:31 pm local time
- Place
- Woody Creek, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed, 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N63016 · no longer on the register · serial 17275376
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A PASSENGER SAID THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT MADE A RIGHT TURN AND ENTERED A CANYON. HE THEN NOTICED THE AIRPLANE WAS AT 10,800 FEET AND CLIMBING, BUT THE TREES WERE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE TREES, IMPACTED THE GROUND, AND CAME TO REST IN A CREEK BED. PERSONAL FLIGHT PLANNING PAPERS RECOVERED FROM THE WRECKAGE INDICATED THE PILOT PLANNED TO FLY TO GRANBY, COLORADO, VIA PILOTAGE. THE PILOT HAD LIVED IN THE AREA FOR ONE MONTH AND HAD RECENTLY RECEIVED A MOUNTAIN FLYING CHECK OUT. THIS WAS HER FIRST CROSS COUNTRY MOUNTAIN FLYING EXPERIENCE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF AIRFRAME OF POWERPLANT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12,443 FEET.
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: 93 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 39 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,745 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 19, 1992; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aspen Base Operation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: ASE Aspen CO at 5:21 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 pm from ASE, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.