Cessna 305A accident near Fort Collins, Colorado, May 15, 1993
On May 15, 1993 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 305A, registered N5225G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Collins, Colorado (Downtwown Ft. Collins airport). It was a business 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
AN EXCESSIVE RATE OF DESCENT RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 1993 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Collins, Colorado · Downtwown Ft. Collins · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 305A · all 305As on the register
- Registration
- N5225G · no longer on the register · serial 21898
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING FINAL APPROACH AND TOUCHDOWN FOR A FULL STOP LANDING, WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE UNDER MARGINAL CONTROL AND TOUCHDOWN WAS HARD ON THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR. FOLLOWING INITIAL TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT SWERVED TO THE RIGHT THEN ARCED TO THE LEFT AND DEPARTED THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY COMING TO REST IN A DITCH. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE RIGHT BRAKE FADED AND HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. WITNESS MARKS PROVIDED EVIDENCE OF SKIDDING OF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR FROM SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE DITCH AND EXAMINATION PROVIDED EVIDENCE OF TOUCHDOWN DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE AIRCRAFT TO TURN TO THE LEFT. BRAKE SYSTEM TESTS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,427 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,700 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1992; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-15 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Banner Advertising, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Flying B Ranch CO at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 4,700 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 pm from FNL, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N5225G 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.