Piper PA-28-181 accident near Fort Collins, Colorado, August 27, 1995
On August 27, 1995 at about 6:30 am local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N8450B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Collins, Colorado (Fort Collins/Loveland airport). 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
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT FOR LANDING. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: A MISREADING OR MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE NOTAMS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 1995 · about 6:30 am local time
- Place
- Fort Collins, Colorado · Fort Collins/Loveland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N8450B · no longer on the register · serial 28-8290038
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT BEFORE TAKEOFF, HE CALLED FLIGHT SERVICE TO OBTAIN WEATHER INFORMATION AND NOTAMS. AFTER BEING BRIEFED ON NOTAMS FOR THE FORT COLLINS-LOVELAND AIRPORT, HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE FIRST 400' PORTION OF RUNWAY 33 WAS CLOSED (FOR CONSTRUCTION). ACTUALLY, THE FIRST 4000' PORTION OF THAT RUNWAY WAS CLOSED. WHILE EN ROUTE AT NIGHT, HE ELECTED TO MAKE A TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING ON THAT RUNWAY. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 2000' SHORT OF THE TEMPORARY THRESHOLD. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT HEARD A NOISE AND SAW BARRICADES. HE APPLIED POWER AND FLEW OVER THE BARRICADES, BUT FOUND DAMAGE ON THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE FLIGHT. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE RUNWAY WAS PROPERLY MARKED, RUNWAY LIGHTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AREA WERE COVERED, THE THRESHOLD LIGHTS HAD BEEN MOVED TO THE TEMPORARY THRESHOLD, AND PROPER NOTAMS HAD BEEN ISSUED.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 137 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 137 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,949 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 10, 1995; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: P C Flyers, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: APA Englewwod CO
- Destination: FNL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 33, 8,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 010° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 am from FNL, 1 miles away
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.
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.