Cessna 182N accident near Durango, Colorado, May 13, 1993
On May 13, 1993 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182N, registered N773JB, was destroyed in an accident near Durango, Colorado (Animas Air Park airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN INADVERTENT STALL. A FACTOR WAS: DOWNDRAFTS AND THE PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 13, 1993 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Durango, Colorado · Animas Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182N · all 182Ns on the register
- Registration
- N773JB · no longer on the register · serial 18260610
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OBSERVED SCATTERED CLOUDS, VIRGA, RAIN AND LIGHTNING APPROACHING WHEN HE WAS 10 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT, AND UNICOM ADVISED THE WIND WAS FROM THE NORTH AT 20 KNOTS. THE AIRPLANE ENTERED PRECIPITATION AND ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT, BUT THE PILOT RECOVERED BY APPLYING MODERATE ENGINE POWER AND REMAINING HIGH AND FAST. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AS HE CONTINUED HIS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 1, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A VERTICAL WIND SHEAR AND LOST SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET. THE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS BELOW THE AIRPORT ELEVATION (THE AIRPORT SITS ATOP A MESA), AND HE ADDED FULL POWER AND PULLED THE NOSE UP. THE AIRPLANE CLEARED BOULDERS AND TREES AT THE EDGE OF THE MESA, THEN THE STALL WARNING SOUNDED. TWO PASSENGERS AND A WITNESS SAID THE AIRPLANE STALLED. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE RUNWAY AND SLID 30 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A HALT.
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: 331 hours in all; 144 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 331 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,289 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 18, 1992; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Gregg Flying Service, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: ABQ Albuquerque NM at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 5CO0
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 5,000 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 20 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; not recorded at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
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.