- Date
- March 1, 1994, 05:45 local (12:45 UTC)
- Place
- Longmont, CO
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2181QCessna 177RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940301003159A
- Case key
- 19004
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
An inadvertent stall due to improper preflight and the pilot's failure to adequately remove ice from the aircraft. A factor was airframe icing.
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
During initial climb following takeoff, the aircraft stalled and impacted terrain off the end of the runway. Examination by the local police, within 20 minutes following the accident, provided evidence of ice on all aircraft surfaces. The pilot also stated that he had failed to properly remove ice from the aircraft.
Factual narrative
On March 1, 1994, at 0545 mountain standard time, a Cessna 177RG, N2181Q, sustained substantial damage after control was lost following takeoff from Vance Brand Airport, Longmont, Colorado. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this personal flight to Montevideo, Minnesota. An IFR flight plan was on file.
According to the pilot, the aircraft could not be kept airborne following takeoff from runway 29. The left wing was damaged and the fuselage was buckled.
According to the responding Longmont police officer, who was a pilot, the aircraft wings and fuselage were coated with ice when he arrived on scene approximately 20 minutes following the accident. The officer stated that icing conditions were not present at the time, but freezing rain had fallen for most of the previous evening.
In a statement to the responding police officer, the pilot stated that he made a mistake and did not deice the aircraft sufficiently prior to takeoff. (See attached police report). According to the enclosed pilot report, there was a slight "buffet" without a stall warning horn "just prior to impact."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2181Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 177RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 177RG0581
- Airframe hours
- 6,016
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1E6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Debruzzi, Michael S.
- Registered owner
- Md Air, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 21, 1994 · 7 hours before
- Destination
- MVE · Montevideo, MN
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,161 total · 110 in this make and model · 504 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BJC, 15 nm away
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 N2181Q · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.