Commonwealth REARWIN 185 accident near Longmont, Colorado, December 12, 1994
On December 12, 1994 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Commonwealth REARWIN 185, registered N93290, was substantially damaged in an accident near Longmont, Colorado. It was a personal 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
OIL EXHAUSTION AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE SEIZURE DUE TO A MISSING OIL DRAIN PLUG. FACTORS WERE THE INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 1994 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Longmont, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Commonwealth REARWIN 185 REARWIN 18 · all REARWIN 185s on the register
- Registration
- N93290 · registry record · serial 1854
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, THE ENGINE 'SPUTTERED' AND THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY TURNED TOWARDS THE RUNWAY. THE ENGINE THEN SEIZED AND THE PROPELLER STOPPED TURNING. UNABLE TO GLIDE TO THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A DEPRESSION AND THE LANDING GEAR WAS TORN OFF. POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION DISCLOSED THE OIL DRAIN PLUG WAS MISSING AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF OIL IN THE CRANKCASE. THE ENGINE HAD ACCUMULATED FIVE HOURS TIME-IN- SERVICE SINCE UNDERGOING A MAJOR OVERHAUL.
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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,479 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 2,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,788 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 10, 1994; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW95LA065.