Cessna 177RG accident near Boulder, Colorado, September 21, 1996
On September 21, 1996 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N7568V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boulder, Colorado (Boulder Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the flight instructor to maintain airspeed above stall speed during initial climb and loss of control on the ground after aborting the takeoff. Factors were inadequate preflight planning and preparation, inaccurate weather evaluation, and high winds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 1996 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Boulder, Colorado · Boulder Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N7568V · registry record · serial 177RG0859
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During takeoff on the second leg of an instructional flight, the flight instructor was making the takeoff from runway 26. Wind was from the west at 15 to 20 knots and published airport information cautioned pilots concerning possible turbulence during west departures with strong winds. The aircraft became airborne and settled back to the runway. After becoming airborne a second time, the instructor said the stall warning went off and the controls felt 'mushy.' The takeoff was aborted, and during landing roll, the aircraft went off the right side of the runway, down an incline and into a lake.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,265 hours in all; 81 in this make and model; 197 in the last 90 days; 66 in the last 30 days; 1,154 as pilot in command; 802 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,368 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 19, 1996; 74 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1V5 Boulder CO at 7:00 pm
- Destination: 3V5 Fort Collins CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26L, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 70 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:47 pm from BJC, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.