Cessna 172N accident near Durango, Colorado, January 9, 2002
On January 9, 2002 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N3535E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Durango, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the trees and mountainous terrain while maneuvering. A contributing factor was the pilot's delay in taking remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 9, 2002 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Durango, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N3535E · no longer on the register · serial 17271577
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and his two friends were on a local mountain sightseeing flight. While flying over a canyon, the pilot commented to his passengers that "the flight was proceeding exactly as I had hoped and that our airspeed and rate of climb were both exactly where I wanted them to be (80 kias and 500 fpm)." While pointing out the terrain features to his passengers, the pilot noticed the airplane's altitude was lower than the canyon rim, and the climb rate and airspeed began to decrease. After the airplane's descent rate increased, he attempted to turn the airplane around and exit the canyon. While executing a turn to the right, the stall warning horn sounded, and the pilot decided to execute a precautionary landing to a clearing. During the ensuing precautionary landing, the airplane impacted trees and the terrain. The elevation at the accident site was 9,430 feet msl.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 275 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 170 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,444.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 21, 2001; 94 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FMN Farmington NM
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N3535E 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.