Cessna 172S N10468
23 March 2012 · Longmont, Colorado, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 23 March 2012 at about 17:43 local time, a Cessna 172S registered N10468, operated by McAir Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Longmont, Colorado, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one had minor injuries. 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 17:43
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Longmont, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Vance Brand (LMO)
- Coordinates
- 40.1536, -105.0553
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S
- Registration
- N10468
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- McAir Aviation LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Broomfield → Broomfield
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN12FA199
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The inadequate visual lookout by the pilots of both airplanes, which resulted in a mid-air collision.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Radar track data depicted the accident airplanes on gradually converging flight paths prior to the accident. Immediately before the collision, the Cessna 172 appeared to be on a north-northeast course in level flight at 7,200 feet mean sea level (msl), and the Cessna 180 was in a gradual climb from 6,800 feet msl to 7,000 feet msl on a north course. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, with reported visibilities at 60 miles. Neither pilot was receiving air traffic control advisories at the time of the collision. The radar track associated with the Cessna 180 indicated that after the collision the airplane entered a 270-degree right turn before proceeding to the west. The Cessna 172 continued northbound, as it entered a descent and impacted the ground. The pilot of the Cessna 180 airplane stated that she heard a loud bang during cruise flight and the airplane immediately pitched up and rolled into right bank. She subsequently determined that elevator control was limited. The pilot attempted to divert to a local airport, but was unable to land on a runway due to the impaired airplane control. She executed a forced landing to an open area adjacent to the airport. A witness reported that the right horizontal stabilizer of the Cessna 180 appeared to be bent down about 90 degrees at mid-span as the airplane approached for the forced landing. The outboard portion of the right horizontal stabilizer of the Cessna 180 airplane was structurally compromised, which resulted in a nearly complete loss of pitch control. The pilot of the Cessna 180 airplane retained marginal pitch control by varying engine power during the remainder of the flight. A postaccident examination did not reveal any pre-collision failures or malfunctions associated with either airplane. The examination determined that the left aileron/wing of the Cessna 172 likely contacted the right horizontal stabilizer of the Cessna 180 in flight. The outboard portion of the left wing on the Cessna 172 was structurally compromised, rendering the airplane uncontrollable. Regulations required that each person operating an aircraft maintain vigilance so as to "see and avoid other aircraft."
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 172S | N10468 | McAir Aviation LLC | Substantial |
| Cessna 180 | N9325C | - | Substantial |
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Sep 2012 | Cessna 172N | Acreúna Municipality, Brazil | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 9 Jul 2012 | Cessna 172S | Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States | Gateway Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 19 Apr 2012 | Cessna 172R | Richmond, Kentucky, United States | Eastern Kentucky University | No injuries | - |
| 17 Feb 2012 | Cessna 172N | Flat Rock, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Nov 2012 | Cessna 172 | Ostermaima, Sweden | Arbra Flygklubb Hovsatter | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Sep 2012 | Cessna 172S | Land O'Lakes, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Sep 2012 | Piper PA-46-350P | Kiowa, Colorado, United States | Don Woroner | No injuries | - |
| 21 Nov 2012 | Brian P North RAF SE5A REPLICA | Watkins, Colorado, United States | Brian P. North | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Apr 2012 | Beechcraft P35 | Englewood, Colorado, United States | Philippe F Camus | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 2012 | Doppelt Fredric F F. 8L FALCO | Durango, Colorado, United States | Bruce Snyder | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Sep 2012 | Tl Ultralight Sro STINGSPORT | Longmont, Colorado, United States | STING4FUN LLC | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jun 2012 | Schweizer 269C | Denver, Colorado, United States | TYJ Global | No injuries | - |