- Date
- January 27, 1992, 13:47 local (20:47 UTC)
- Place
- Englewood, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N52872Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 2, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920127001109A
- Case key
- 18192
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
A loss of control due to the pilot's failure to follow proper soft field takeoff procedures by flying out of ground effect at an inadequate airspeed. A factor was the pilot's improper use of flaps.
Analysis
The CFI was demonstrating a soft field takeoff. After lift-off the airplane settled back to the runway, then became airborne again. Control was lost, and the airplane settled into terrain adjacent to the runway. No discrepancies were found during the wreckage examination. The left flap was found deployed to about 10 deg due to impact damage, and the follow-up cable was slack. The remainder of the flap system was intact. This is consistent with flaps being in the up position at impact. Flaps are electrically driven through a jack screw to the right flap. The left flap is driven by a follow-up cable through the right flap jack screw; therefore the left flap cannot be driven to a position to which the right flap is not driven. The right flap was found in the up position. The recommended flap setting for a short field takeoff is 10 deg. According to the FAA flight training handbook, during soft field takeoff the airplane can become airborne at an airspeed below safe climb speed due to the action of ground effect.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52872
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274625
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- P.C. Flyers, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Lawrence D. Ramsdell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 2, 2000 · 37 hours before
- Airport
- APA · Centennia, runway 17, 10,000 × 100 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
- 44
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,510 total · 800 in this make and model · 1,323 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.