Cessna 172 N786CP

Summary

On 17 March 2021 at about 21:26 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N786CP, operated by Civil Air Patrol, 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.

Date

17 March 2021 at 21:26

Classification

Accident

Location

Watkins, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Colorado Air and Space Port (CFO)

Coordinates

39.7937, -104.5473

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N786CP

Category

Airplane

Year built

2015

Engines

1

Operator

Civil Air Patrol

Operating rule

Public Use

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Centennial → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA160

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff and the instructor pilot’s inadequate supervision of the pilot’s takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The instructor pilot reported that he’d asked the pilot receiving instruction to perform a short field takeoff. During the takeoff, the pilot raised the airplane’s nose early obstructing both pilots’ view over the nose and the airplane drifted to the left. The airplane exited the left side of the runway onto wet, soft ground, nosed down striking the propeller, and then ground looped coming to a stop about 150o from the takeoff direction. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The instructor pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.