Cessna 180D accident near Erie, Colorado, March 27, 1997
On March 27, 1997 at about 3:55 pm local time, a Cessna 180D, registered N6484X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Erie, Colorado (Tri-County airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane directional control. A factor was the crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 1997 · about 3:55 pm local time
- Place
- Erie, Colorado · Tri-County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180D · all 180Ds on the register
- Registration
- N6484X · registry record · serial 18050984
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said the wind increased from 'calm to light, favoring runway 33' as he preflighted his airplane, to 330 degrees 28 knots as he began the takeoff roll. When he raised the tail the airplane swerved to the left, but he was able to realign the airplane with the runway. The left wing rose and the pilot applied full left aileron but to no avail. The airplane curved to the right, exited the runway and nosed over. When the pilot exited the airplane, the windsock indicated the wind to be variable between 300 and 330 degrees at 28 knots.
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: 833 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 701 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,040 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 20, 1996; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: RYN Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 4,700 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 25 knots
- Visibility: 75 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 pm from BJC, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N6484X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 FTW97LA143.