# Accident 20010121003149A: Cessna 172L, Culver, IN, January 21, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 21, 2001, 15:55 local time - Place: Culver, IN - Airport: Fleet Field Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Final Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.2107° N, 86.4196° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.2107&lon=-86.4196&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4378Q, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4378Q) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172L (registry code 2072432, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172l) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172L - Reported engine: LYC O320E2D - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI01LA069](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI01LA069) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010121003149A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-19) ON JANUARY 21, 2001, AT 1555 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172L, N4378Q, PILOTED BY A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A SHORT FIELD LANDING ON RUNWAY 34 (2,400 FEET BY 65 FEET, ASPHALT) AT THE FLEET FIELD AIRPORT, CULVER, INDIANA. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A SNOW BANK ALONG THE FINAL APPROACH PATH TO THE RUNWAY. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN. ALL THREE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS ABOARD REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM THE FULTON COUNTY AIRPORT, ROCHESTER, INDIANA, AT TIME UNKNOWN. (.4) ON JANUARY 21, 2001, AT 1555 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172L, N4378Q, PILOTED BY A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A SHORT FIELD LANDING ON RUNWAY 34 (2,400 FEET BY 65 FEET, ASPHALT) AT THE FLEET FIELD AIRPORT, CULVER, INDIANA. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A SNOW BANK ALONG THE FINAL APPROACH PATH TO THE RUNWAY. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN. ALL THREE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCT ORS ABOARD REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM THE FULTON COUNTY AIRPORT, ROCHESTER, INDIANA, AT TIME UNKNOWN. THE PILOT REPORTED, "WE WERE PERFORMING A SHORT FIELD LANDING INTO A SHORT FIELD (FLEET FIELD). WE HAD A STABILIZED APPROACH TO THE FIELD AT 60 MPH. WE CLEARED THE OBSTRUCTIONS AT THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY (TREES), AND THEN PROCEEDED TO LANDING. UPON REACHING THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD WE NOTICED THAT THE SNOW HAD BEEN PILED UP AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. WE REALIZED THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO CLEAR THE SNOW PILE AND PROCEEDED TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND. BY THE TIME THE POWER WAS ADDED WE HIT THE SNOW. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR CAME OFF UPON IMPACT. IT THEN STRUCK THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. I MANAGED TO KEEP THE PLANE ON THE TWO REMAINING GEAR UNTIL THE WINGS WOULD NO LONGER SUPPORT LIFT. THE PLANE THEN VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST IN A SNOW BANK... ." DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAS MADE 1000'S OF LANDINGS AT THE FLEET FIELD AIRPORT WHERE HE AND THE TWO OTHER CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS WORK AS FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS. HE STATED THAT THEY WERE PRACTICING SHORT FIELD LANDINGS WITH THE PILOT IN THE RIGHT SEAT AT THE CONTROLS. THE LEFT SEAT PILOT TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS. (-23) AIRCRAFT CONTACTED ICY/SNOW MOUND AT VERY END OF RUNWAY WHILE LANDING. UPON IMPACT, LEFT MLG SHEARED OFF. A/C CAME TO REST IN SNOW BANK TO THE LEFT OF R/W; APPROXIMAELY 300 FEET FROM CONTACT/MLG IMPACT POINT. BASED UPON THE COUNSELING OF THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACCIDENT BY THE SAFETY PROGRAM MANAGER, THE PILOT'S INSTRUCTION ACTIVITY OVER THE PAST YEAR, HIS PARTICIPATION IN THE WINGS PROGRAM PHASES 1,2, AND 3, ALONG WITH HIS ADDED PILOT RATINGS, AND DUE TO THE DELAY IN THE SUBMITTAL OF THIS FORM, NO ADDITIONAL CORRECTIVE ACTION IS PLANNED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CHI01LA069](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI01LA069), Jan 21, 2001: Cessna 172L (N4378Q), Culver, IN, substantial damage. Probable cause: the proper glide path not attained by both pilots during a short field landing. The snow bank was a contributing factor. ## Other reports on N4378Q (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20121102025029I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121102025029I), Nov 2, 2012: Cessna 172L (N4378Q), Winamac, IN, Minor damage. During landing rollout a deer ran into the left side of aircraft. - [Incident 19940730033239I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940730033239I), Jul 30, 1994: Cessna 172L (N4378Q), Plymouth, IN. Narrative: on July 30, 1994, at 1215 EST, a Cessna 172L, owned by rod c. dutt landed in a soy-bean field north of Plymouth, Indiana during a personal flight.… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.