Cessna R172K accident near Leadville, Colorado, September 29, 2008
On September 29, 2008 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna R172K, registered N736LN, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Leadville, Colorado (Lake County Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering at low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 2008 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Leadville, Colorado · Lake County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172K · all R172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N736LN · no longer on the register · serial R1722613
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor was demonstrating how to maneuver at about 400 feet to 1,000 feet above mountainous terrain using updrafts on the west face of the ridge line to improve climb performance. Another airplane on the same route, about five minutes ahead of them, had reported that they were getting updrafts that gave them occasional climb rates of up to 500 to 600 feet per minute. The accident airplane was headed toward rising terrain and climbing at approximately 400 to 500 feet per minute when suddenly the airplane quit climbing and the stall warning sounded. The flight instructor took over the controls, lowered the flaps, maintained full engine power at approximately 2,700 rpm, and made a crash landing at approximately 12,000 feet mean sea level on the upslope of the mountain. The airplane struck terrain with the wings level approximately 500 feet below the crest of the mountain ridge and came to rest inverted 50 feet from the initial impact point. A subsequent examination of the airplane showed no prexisting anomalies.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during enroute (climb to cruise)
- Loss of control in flight during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during uncontrolled descent
- Hard landing during landing
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Flight instructor
- 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: 800 hours in all; 550 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 637 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 21, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 80 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,424 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 1, 2008; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Alliance Flight Training LLC
The flight
- Departed from: LXV Leadville CO at 4:50 pm
- Destination: FTG Denver CO
- Flight plan: VFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.61 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from LXV, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| 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.