Cessna 172N accident near Englewood, Colorado, July 27, 1994
On July 27, 1994 at about 2:18 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N739VN, was destroyed in an accident near Englewood, Colorado (Centennial airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN INADVERTENT STALL. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S EXCESSIVE FLARE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 1994 · about 2:18 pm local time
- Place
- Englewood, Colorado · Centennial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N739VN · registry record · serial 17270842
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PLANNING TO PRACTICE TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS. HE SAID HIS LANDING APPROACH WAS NORMAL. AS HE FLARED FOR THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO CLIMB SO HE ADDED POWER TO AVOID STALLING. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED CLIMBING AND THE STALL WARNING HORN SOUNDED. THE PILOT SAID HE THOUGHT HE APPLIED FULL POWER AND REMEMBERED THE AIRPLANE DRIFTING LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND NEXT TO THE RUNWAY AND NOSED OVER.
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: student
- Flight time: 72 hours in all; 72 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 14 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,480 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 24, 1994; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17R, 7,003 ft by 77 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:21 pm from APA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N739VN 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.