Cessna 152 accident near Broomfield, Colorado, September 9, 2017
On September 9, 2017 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 152, registered N89732, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Broomfield, Colorado (Rocky Mountain Metropolitan airport). 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
The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while landing in gusting crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2017 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Broomfield, Colorado · Rocky Mountain Metropolitan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 NO SERIES, built 1979 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N89732 · no longer on the register · serial 15282846
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, while landing in a "strong" crosswind, the airplane touched down on the runway centerline but then veered hard to the left. He attempted to correct by using rudder and aileron inputs, but he overcorrected, and the airplane veered sharply to the right and exited the runway. He applied full throttle to abort the landing; however, the airplane veered left across the runway, then continued off its left side. The airplane continued down an embankment, the nose impacted an "upslope" on the far side of a ditch, and the airplane came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage and both wings. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system located about 1 mile from the accident site reported, about 15 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 190° at 13 knots and that, about 15 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 210° at 17 knots, gusting to 21 knots. The student pilot landed on runway 12R.
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
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 109 hours in all; 74 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 19 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,240.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 7, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 7,241 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BJC Broomfield CO at 7:20 pm
- Destination: BJC Broomfield CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12R, 7,002 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 17 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 8:17 pm from KBJC, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 6, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.