Cessna 182T accident near Drake, CO
On November 23, 2024, a Cessna 182T (airplane) was involved in an accident near Drake, CO. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- November 23, 2024
- Place
- Drake, CO
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182T · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.441°N, 105.309°W
- NTSB ID
- 20241123195539
Official records · CEN25FA047
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn November 23, 2024, about 1115 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182T airplane, N434CP, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Drake, Colorado. The flight crew consisted of the pilot, a mission observer, and a photographer. The pilot and photographer sustained fatal injuries, and the mission observer sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 federal public use training flight. The CAP conducted the flight to perform aerial photography of the area for use by the Red Cross for emergency response planning. The flight originated from the Northern Colorado Regional Airport (FNL), Loveland, Colorado, about 0930. The pilot was seated in the front left seat, the pilot-certificated mission observer (survivor) was seated in the right front seat, and the pilot-certificated photographer was seated in the right rear seat. According to ADS-B data for the flight, the airplane departed FNL and flew to the area to be photographed. The airplane then made several north-to-south and east-to-west orbits over the area before turning east toward FNL. The airplane then turned to the north, made a left turn to the south followed almost immediately by a right turn to the northwest. The airplane’s flight track ended shortly after. Figure 1. Screenshot of the ADS-B flight track with inset showing altitude and airspeed. (Source: FlightAware). The mission observer stated that the photography mission consisted of flying large circles over mountain roads and a valley. After completing the photography mission, t
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control while maneuvering in mountainous terrain. Contributing was mountain wave turbulence in the area.
More accidents in CO
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-14, Nov 15, 1987
- Grumman Gulfstream III, Mar 30, 2001
- Beech 1900, Jan 28, 2026
- Douglas DC3, Mar 9, 2019
- Piper PA-31-350, Dec 3, 2014
Browse: Colorado · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
