Cessna 172N accident near Broomfield, Colorado, August 7, 1998
On August 7, 1998 at about 8:07 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N118FP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Broomfield, Colorado (Jeffco airport). It was a personal 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
The pilot's improper remedial action after making a hard landing and porpoising. A factor was his lack of total experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 1998 · about 8:07 pm local time
- Place
- Broomfield, Colorado · Jeffco · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N118FP · no longer on the register · serial 17271267
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The recently certificated private pilot of 10 days was cleared to land on runway 11R. The wind was from 360 degrees at 5 knots. He used 20 degrees of flaps and an approach speed of 70 knots. The airplane landed hard and began to porpoise. The pilot said he 'could not keep the airplane on the ground so [he] applied forward pressure, this time hitting the nose gear.'
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: 56 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 17 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,340 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 11, 1998; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GXY Greeley CO at 6:45 pm
- Destination: BJC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11R, 7,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:25 pm from BJC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N118FP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.