# Accident 20120630011959A: Cessna 172S, Glenwood Spring, CO, June 30, 2012 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 30, 2012, 14:00 local time - Place: Glenwood Spring, CO - Airport: Glenwood Springs Municipal - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Climb - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.6056° N, 107.2714° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.6056&lon=-107.2714&mi=10 - Aircraft: N917SA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N917SA-2017-10-27) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172S (registry code 2072439, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (registry code 41597, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172S - Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-360-L2A - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 136 total, 18 in this make and model, 28 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN12LA414](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12LA414) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120630011959A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE AIRCRAFT ORIGINALLY DEPARTED ROCKY MOUNTAIN METROPOLITAN AIRPORT (BJC) ON A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WITH A PLANNED STOP AT GLENWOOD SPRINGS COLORADO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (GWS). THE FINAL DESTINATION WAS TO RETURN TO BJC. THE PILOT STATED THAT PRIOR TO LEAVING BJC HE VISUALLY VERIFIED THAT BOTH FUEL TANKS LOOKED FULL. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER SPENDING ABOUT 20 MINUTES ON THE GROUND HE LEFT GWS AND WAS CLIMBING IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD LEFT GWS AND WAS FLYING PERPENDICULAR TO GLENWOOD CANYON WHILE ASSESSING HIS ROUTE BACK TO BJC. HE STATED THAT HE DECIDED TO FLY THE LEFT (NORTH) SIDE OF THE CANYON, THAT HE MADE VARIOUS POWER INCREASES/CHANGES TO CLIMB AS THE TERRAIN BEGAN TO MOVE UPWARD IN HIS VISUAL REFERENCE. HE STATED THAT THE POWER INCREASES DID NOT SEEM TO HELP THE CLIMB, SO HE SLOWED TO 70 KIAS TO MINIMIZE HIS TURNAROUND RADIUS. HE SAYS THAT HIS MEMORY FROM THAT POINT IS VERY UNCLEAR. HE THINKS HE CONTINUED TO INCREASE POWER, BUT THAT THE AIRCRAFT DIDN'T SEEM TO RESPOND AND THAT THE TERRAIN CONTINUED TO RISE. HE THINKS HE SLOWED MORE TO MAKE A TURNAROUND AND REMEMBERS THE AIRCRAFT HITTING A TREE. THE PILOT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AND WAS TREATED AND RELEASED FROM A LOCAL HOSPITAL. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. WEATHER REPORTS NEARBY FOR THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE WINDS CALM, VISIBILITY 10 STATUE MILES AND SKY CONDITIONS CLEAR. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CEN12LA414](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12LA414), Jun 30, 2012: Cessna 172S (N917SA), Glenwood Springs, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's decision to fly into a mountainous area where conditions were such that the airplane was unable to climb above rising terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's insufficient… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.