Cessna 152 accident near Durango, Colorado, September 27, 1998
On September 27, 1998 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N4568F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Durango, Colorado. 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
Improper maintenance by an unknown person and the subsequent throttle cable disconnect due to a castellated nut separation. Factors were the none suitable soft terrain for the forced landing, and the failure of the nose wheel landing gear during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 27, 1998 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Durango, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N4568F · registry record · serial 15282989
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot experienced a partial power failure and performed a forced landing to a field. The field was wet and soft; the nose wheel failed aft during the landing roll, and the airplane nosed over. Postimpact examination of the engine revealed that the castellated nut which held the throttle cable in place had backed off and separated from the airplane. The displacement of the throttle cable permitted the engine to transition to the idle position.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 220 hours in all; 131 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 171 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,154 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 22, 1998; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DRO at 10:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.