Cessna 175A accident near Erie, Colorado, August 22, 1998
On August 22, 1998 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 175A, registered N6874E, was destroyed in an accident near Erie, Colorado (Tri-County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain flying speed (above stall speed) and the subsequent stall/spin. Contributing factors were the tailwind, high density altitude, and aircraft overweight conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 1998 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Erie, Colorado · Tri-County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175A · all 175As on the register
- Registration
- N6874E · no longer on the register · serial 56374
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had an estimated 250 hours of flight experience and flew into Tri-County Airport (his second trip) to visit family members. The pilot was observed fueling his airplane before loading 3 passengers for a sight-seeing flight. The weight was calculated to be 50 pounds over maximum gross weight. He was seen taking off on runway 15 (elevation 5,130 feet; density altitude 8,185 feet) and a witness observed a wind shift to 300 degrees, 12 to 18 knots. Another witness observed a longer than normal takeoff; and at 50 to 100 feet the airplane's right wing dropped abruptly and the airplane spun half a turn to the ground. The pilot was visiting from the Dallas, Texas, area. Center of gravity and performance data could not be calculated due to configuration and envelope limitations.
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: 250 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,292 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 7, 1997; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental GO-300-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 48V at 6:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 4,700 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 80 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from BJC, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.