Piper PA-28-180 accident near Rifle, Colorado, April 20, 2008
On April 20, 2008 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N7417W, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Rifle, Colorado. It was a personal 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
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane on landing. A factor was the crosswind and wind gusts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 2008 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Rifle, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7417W · no longer on the register · serial 28-1305
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 52-year-old private pilot was attempting to land his single-engine, low-wing airplane on Runway 26 with a crosswind. While on final approach, at a speed of 90 mph, he encountered wind shear, which resulted in a sudden loss of airspeed. The airplane then made a slight bounce on the runway, before another gust of wind picked up the left wing and blew the airplane off the runway into the dirt. Subsequently, the right wing contacted the ground resulting in substantial damage. The propeller and the nose gear were also damaged. The wind at the time was reported from 220 degrees at 19 knots gusting to 33 knots.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 491 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-H3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7V2 Paonia CO
- Destination: RIF Rifle CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.