Cessna 152 accident near Durango, Colorado, January 28, 1993
On January 28, 1993 at about 6:46 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N67492, was substantially damaged in an accident near Durango, Colorado. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
POWER LOSS DUE TO WATER CONTAMINATED FUEL. A FACTOR WAS: UNSUITABLE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 28, 1993 · about 6:46 pm local time
- Place
- Durango, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N67492 · no longer on the register · serial 15281864
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE, WITH AN INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT ABOARD, WAS FULL OF FUEL WHEN THEY TOOK OFF FOR AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. AFTER 45 MINUTES, THEY TURNED BACK AND WHEN THEY WERE ABOUT 3 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND RPM DROPPED STEADILY FROM FULL POWER TO A COMPLETE POWER LOSS. ATTEMPTS TO RESTORE POWER WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN DEEP SNOW AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE ENGINE WAS LATER FUNCTIONALLY TESTED AND IT OPERATED SATISFACTORILY. THE OPERATOR SAID THE AIRPLANE HAD NOT FLOWN RECENTLY AND THERE HAD BEEN A SUBSTANTIAL SNOW FALL. HE SUSPECTED THE FUEL MAY HAVE BEEN CONTAMINATED WITH WATER.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,040 hours in all; 390 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 900 as pilot in command; 400 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,507 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 11, 1992; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C(M) (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Durango Air Service, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DRO at 6:00 pm
- Destination: DRO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 18°F (-8°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 N67492 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.