Cessna 172L accident near Buena Vista, Colorado, March 18, 1994
On March 18, 1994 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172L, registered N7876G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Buena Vista, Colorado (Buena Vista Municipal airport). It was an instructional 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 IMPROPER SUPERVISION OF THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT. A FACTOR WAS THE LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL BY THE STUDENT PILOT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 1994 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Buena Vista, Colorado · Buena Vista Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N7876G · no longer on the register · serial 17259576
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A TOUCH AND GO LANDING ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT OFF THE RUNWAY FOLLOWING TOUCHDOWN. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO ASSUME CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, BUT 'WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE CONDITION PRIOR TO STRIKING AN EMBANKMENT.'
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: 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: 1,850 hours in all; 780 in this make and model; 117 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,750 as pilot in command; 700 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 24, 1994; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0V2 Salida CO at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 9,000 ft by 48 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from LXV, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.