Cessna 140 accident near Denver, Colorado, October 15, 2018
On October 15, 2018 at about 7:45 pm local time, a 1946 Cessna 140, registered N76154, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Denver, Colorado (Front Range airport). It was a personal 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 pilot’s inadvertent brake application, which resulted in a loss of directional control and a subsequent nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 2018 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · Front Range · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 Undesignat, built 1946 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N76154 · registry record · serial 10551
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the preflight for a demonstration flight with another pilot, they discussed the nose-over tendencies of the airplane and the need to "stay off the brakes." He added that, during the fourth touch-and-go landing, the second pilot was flying and performed a wheel landing. During the landing roll, the airplane drifted right, and the pilot "came on the rudders to help." Suddenly, the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that he believed he was responsible for the accident and that either he or the other pilot must have inadvertently applied the brakes. He also believed that he misjudged the second pilot's tailwheel experience. The second pilot reported that, at the time of the accident, he had a tailwheel endorsement and met the recency of experience requirements. He added that, during the landing roll, the airplane was tracking the centerline when "suddenly and unexpectedly" it nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,087 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 178 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 11,682 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 4, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,815 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,645.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-220-A (piston); 6,666 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FTG Denver CO at 7:00 pm
- Destination: FTG Denver CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 8,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 6:58 pm from KFTG, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on February 7, 2019. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos | PDF, 2 pages | 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.