Cessna R172K N736LN

Summary

On 29 September 2008 at about 17:00 local time, a Cessna R172K registered N736LN, operated by Alliance Flight Training LLC, was involved in an accident near Leadville, Colorado, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 September 2008 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Leadville, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Lake County Airport (LXV)

Coordinates

39.1361, -106.2186

Aircraft

Cessna R172K

Registration

N736LN

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Alliance Flight Training LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Leadville → Denver

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW08LA238

3 people had minor injuries.

The flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering at low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor was demonstrating how to maneuver at about 400 feet to 1,000 feet above mountainous terrain using updrafts on the west face of the ridge line to improve climb performance. Another airplane on the same route, about five minutes ahead of them, had reported that they were getting updrafts that gave them occasional climb rates of up to 500 to 600 feet per minute. The accident airplane was headed toward rising terrain and climbing at approximately 400 to 500 feet per minute when suddenly the airplane quit climbing and the stall warning sounded. The flight instructor took over the controls, lowered the flaps, maintained full engine power at approximately 2,700 rpm, and made a crash landing at approximately 12,000 feet mean sea level on the upslope of the mountain. The airplane struck terrain with the wings level approximately 500 feet below the crest of the mountain ridge and came to rest inverted 50 feet from the initial impact point. A subsequent examination of the airplane showed no prexisting anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.