Rockwell International 112TC accident near Durango, Colorado, May 4, 2016
On May 4, 2016 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1976 Rockwell International 112TC, registered N513CA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Durango, Colorado (Animas Air Park airport). It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The instructed pilot's interference with the flight controls during landing, which resulted in the flight instructor's inability to maintain directional control, resulting in a runway excursion and substantial damage to the firewall and left wing spar.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 2016 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Durango, Colorado · Animas Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell International 112TC A, built 1976 · all 112TCs on the register
- Registration
- N513CA · registry record · serial 13053
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the instructed pilot, this was a training flight for a complex airplane endorsement. He reported that he had a total of 17 hours in this make and model airplane and flew with the certificated flight instructor (CFI), who provided instruction, for 13.8 of those hours. The instructed pilot reported that on short final, he informed the CFI that he did not feel comfortable landing on the narrow airstrip, and asserted that he positively transferred the flight controls to the CFI who flew the approach. The CFI reported that during approach, the instructed pilot was the pilot flying. He recalled that the final leg of the approach was shallow, and he instructed the pilot to add power, and hold off on the application of full flaps. He recalled that when the airspeed was 85 knots, he instructed the pilot to close the throttle and hold the flare in order to bleed off airspeed prior to touching down. The CFI reported that the instructed pilot failed to close the throttle and the airplane ballooned about 10 feet during the flare, after which he took control of the airplane and landed. He recalled that when the nose gear touched down, the airplane veered to the right, and he applied left rudder. The CFI affirmed that the instructed pilot told him that he applied pressure to the left rudder pedal also. The airplane exited the runway to the right and came to a rest in a ditch about three feet from the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and the left wing spar. The pilots reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Unnecessary action › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 485 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 283 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 23, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,771.5 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 3,710.3 as pilot in command; 1,006.4 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 29, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 19, 2015; 2,967 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TO-360-C1A6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 00C Durango CO at 7:05 pm
- Destination: 00C Durango CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 5,010 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KDRO, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 GAA16CA214.