Aviation Crash Map

Cessna 172P N98969

17 July 2003 · Watkins, Colorado, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 17 July 2003 at about 15:41 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N98969 was involved in an accident near Watkins, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 15:41
Classification
Accident
Location
Watkins, Colorado, United States
Nearest airport
Front Range (FTG)
Coordinates
39.7836, -104.5350
Aircraft
Cessna 172P
Registration
N98969
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Instructional
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Englewood → Englewood
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
DEN03LA132

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
2 0 0 0 2

Probable cause

the right seat shifting aft during the take off roll, rendering aircraft control not possible by the flight instructor. Contributing factors include the inboard seat pin which did not engage fully, the outboard seat pin which was installed incorrectly, the inadequate installation procedures provided by the manufacturer and the parked aircraft on the ramp.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On the second touch and go, the flight instructor said she added full throttle and, as the airplane started to rotate, her seat released and slid aft, causing her to lose her grip on the flight controls. The airplane departed the runway to the left, struck the ground, and traveled 785 feet before colliding with the two unoccupied airplanes, located on the ramp causing substantial damage to the accident airplane. Post examination of the seat rails revealed no anomalies. When brought to the full forward position, the inboard seat pin would not engage fully into the seat track. When force was applied, the seat would move aft. According to a Cessna representative, the outboard seat pin was installed on the outboard side of the seat handle and should be installed on the inboard side of the seat handle. An examination of the remaining aircraft systems revealed no anomalies. The Cessna Model 172 Series Service Manual provides only an illustration addressing the installation of the seat pins. There is no textual data available for installation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Cessna 172 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
25 Dec 2003 Cessna 172RG
N4721R
Key West, Florida, United States Avion Jet Center, LLC No injuries -
16 Mar 2003 Cessna 172N
N5315D
Foley, Minnesota, United States - Fatal 3
12 Jul 2003 Cessna 172S
N5327G
Chandler, Arizona, United States Angel Air No injuries -
18 Jan 2003 Cessna 172
N6312E
Chesapeake, Virginia, United States - No injuries -
21 Mar 2003 Cessna 172S
N219ME
Monroe, Georgia, United States Elite Flight Center Fatal 2
22 Aug 2003 Cessna 172S
N53033
Lake Elmo, Minnesota, United States Wings, Inc. Fatal 3

All 12,209 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
16 Jul 2003 Aerostar RX-8
N35965
Snowmass Villag, Colorado, United States - No injuries -
13 Mar 2003 Piper PA-28R-200
N16438
Delta, Colorado, United States - No injuries -
14 Jun 2003 Beechcraft S35
N5751K
Colorado Spring, Colorado, United States Peter J. Vercouteren No injuries -
23 Mar 2003 Cessna 172S
N3544Q
Erie, Colorado, United States Specialty Flight Training, Inc. Minor injuries -
20 Mar 2003 Beechcraft E-90
N711TZ
Kremmling, Colorado, United States - Minor injuries -
18 Nov 2003 Fairchild Swearingen SA226TC
N332BA
Grand Junction, Colorado, United States - No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States