# NTSB CEN22LA362: Cessna 172N, N6587E, Longmont, CO, July 30, 2022 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: July 30, 2022, 09:11 local (15:11 UTC) - Place: Longmont, CO - Coordinates: 40.164389, -105.16363 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.1644&lon=-105.1636&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration, Denver FSDO, Lycoming Engines - NTSB case key (mKey): 105677 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN22LA362 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/105677/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105677 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA362 ## Probable cause The flight instructor’s failure to properly supervise the student pilot, which resulted in a continued unstablized approach for landing, and the instructor’s delayed recovery that resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000/cases.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 1,269 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041500): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041500/cases.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 25 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041500/cases.md) - [Action: lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 792 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md) - [Action: delayed action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 19 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 894 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 45 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Approach: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 22 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md) - [Approach-VFR go-around: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 134 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor stated that the approach during the student’s fifth landing became unstable. The airplane was near the runway edge when the instructor told the student pilot to initiate a go-around. The instructor said that full engine power was applied, but there was no major increase in thrust. The flight instructor then took the controls from the student but was unable to regain control of the airplane. The airplane then impacted the ground alongside the runway and sustained substantial damage to the wings. Postaccident examination of the airframe and testing of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have resulted in the engine not producing full power. ## Factual narrative On July 30, 2022, at 0911 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N6587E, sustained substantial damage when it was in involved in an accident near Broomfield, Colorado. The flight instructor and student pilot were uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor stated that during the fifth touch-and-go landing, the student pilot’s landing approach was unstable. While the airplane was 20 ft above the runway, the airplane’s right main landing gear wheel was about 5 ft from the runway edge. The instructor told the student pilot to go around. The student pilot applied full engine power, but there was no “major increase of thrust from the engine.” The flight instructor then took the controls from the student. He said the airplane climbed very slowly out of ground effect and the flaps were at 40°. He retracted flaps, one notch at a time, and knew that upon incrementally retracting flaps, the airplane would sink to the ground. The instructor stated that he retracted flaps to 20° to reduce drag, but the airplane sank and was not accelerating with full engine power. The airplane then impacted the grass/ditch area on the left side of runway 29. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right wings. The flight instructor stated he believed that the engine was not producing full power. Postaccident examination of the airframe revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident engine testing revealed that the engine met the engine manufacturer’s test specifications. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6587E](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6587E), registered now, S/N 17272040, built 1978 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N - Registry model: [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (registry code 2072434) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17272040 - Year built: 1978 - Airframe hours: 9238.2 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-H2AD reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Rocky Mountain Flight School - Registered owner: G & M Aircraft Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, June 14, 2022, 90.3 hours before - Departed: BJC, Broomfield, CO - Destination: Same as departure - Airport: LMO, Vance Brand Airport, runway 29, 4,799 × 75 ft, concrete - Equipment: ADS-B, Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 24; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1; last flight review July 11, 2022; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 1,152 total, 339 in this make and model, 1,058 as pilot in command, 300 in the last 90 days, 111 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 43; injuries: none; student; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 78.7 total, 78.7 in this make and model, 7.6 as pilot in command, 24.8 in the last 90 days, 6.8 in the last 30 days, 0.8 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 74 °F, dew point 50 °F - Altimeter: 30.02 inHg - Observed at: BJC ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20220730013619A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220730013619A), Jul 30, 2022: Cessna 172N, Longmont, CO, Substantial damage. Aircraft departed kbjc at approximately 08:30 MDT for klmo (19 miles north) to practice landings and take offs. PIC, student and full fuel on board. Winds… ## Docket (10 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 31, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105677. 99.9 MB in all. - Flight instructor - pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16417520&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20Flight%20Instructor%20Master_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Student pilot - pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 2, PDF, 11 pages, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16436278&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_1web_Mykola%20Simutkin_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Vance brand airport (lmo) surveillance video east (item 3, AVI, 9.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16417550&FileExtension=avi&FileName=airport%20east%201-Rel.avi - Vance brand airport (lmo) surveillance video south (item 4, AVI, 3.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16418462&FileExtension=avi&FileName=airport%20south%202-Rel.avi - Vance brand airport (lmo) surveillance video west (item 5, AVI, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16418285&FileExtension=avi&FileName=airport%20west%203-Rel.avi - Memorandum of record engine test run (item 6, PDF, 2 pages, 70 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16423981&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MOR%20-%20Engine%20Test-Rel.pdf - Interviews (item 7, PDF, 241 pages, 844 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16417088&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Interviews%20Master_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Last aircraft inspections (item 8, PDF, 2 pages, 77.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16423485&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Last%20Aircraft%20Inspections_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 9, PDF, 7 pages, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16418069&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Template-Rel.pdf - Statement of party representatives to NTSB investigation (item 10, PDF, 14 pages, 205 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16421281&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N6587E%20LYC%20Party%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf 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. --- 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.