- Date
- December 30, 1988, 17:45 local (Dec 31, 1988, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Erie, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N80650Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881231057309A
- Case key
- 17658
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot said that he made a normal preflight and engine runup prior to takeoff on runway 33 at the tri-county airport, Erie, Colorado. A normal takeoff was made but he said that as the aircraft reached 200 feet, the engine lost about 400 RPM. When he applied carburetor heat, the engine quit. The pilot made a forced landing to unsuitable terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80650
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172666
- Airframe hours
- 4,550
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas Pierce
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 18, 1988 · 59 hours before
- Departed
- 48V
- Destination
- SLN · Salina, KS
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 48V · Tri County, runway 33, 5,400 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 20
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 65 total · 5 in this make and model · 31 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N80650 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.