NTSB DEN89LA183 — 1989-08-04 · BRIGHTON, Colorado, United States

Current FAA registration · N8203G

Make / Model: CESSNA 177RG
Year of manufacture: 1971 · 18 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING IO-360-A1B6D (200 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19710312
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S AB33A3

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N8203G Cessna 177RG None

Probable cause & findings

FAILURE OF THE LANDING GEAR DOWN LOCK, WHICH ALLOWED THE LANDING GEAR TO COLLAPSE DURING THE LANDING.

Factual narrative

THE PLT TOOK OFF ON A FLT FROM HECKENDORF RANCH STRIP (CO13) TO VAN AIRE ARPT (CO12), WHICH WAS NEARBY, TO LOAD THE ACFT & PROCEED ON ANOTHER FLT. BEFORE LANDING (AT CO12), HE MOVED THE GEAR SELECTOR DOWN & NOTED A SAFE INDICATOR LIGHT. AT TOUCHDOWN, BOTH MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED & THE PLANE TRACKED OFF THE RWY TO THE LEFT. AFTER LEAVING THE RWY, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED IN THE DIRT & THE WINGS & FUSELAGE WERE DAMAGED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE DOWN LOCK SPRING HAD FAILED & ALLOWED THE DOWNLOCK TO RELEASE AT TOUCHDOWN. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_DEN89LA183.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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