What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 6, 2020, about 1523 eastern daylight time (EDT) (1923Z), a Cessna CE-172M, N13520, crashed in a soybean field approximately 3.3 miles east-southeast of New Washington, Indiana. The student pilot, the sole occupant, suffered fatal injuries when the aircraft struck the ground. The aircraft was registered to privacy data omitted and operated under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed from bowman field (lou), louisville, Kentucky, about 1506EDT on a local training flight.
An onsite investigation of the wreckage was conducted. The aircraft impacted a barren agriculture field, on the down slope of a hill, where it tumbled, shedding pieces and parts. The debris field was approximately 1,006 feet long across undulating terrain. The debris was contained in a long narrow path consistent with a high velocity impact. All flight controls and aircraft parts were found at the site and identified. An inspection of the flight control system indicated positive continuity of all systems. The propeller was located approximately 137 feet down range of the initial impact point. Damage to the propeller was consistent with the engine making power when it impacted terrain. The left wing fuel tank was found 1,006 feet down range from the point of impact. The fuel tank skins were ballooned before rupturing indicating that substantial fuel was on board. The area around the fuel tanks had a strong odor, consistent with aviation fuel. Records show that the aircraft was topped-off with fuel before the accident flight. The fuel selector was in the ?both? Position. The flaps were in the retracted position. The ignition switch appeared to be in the ?both? Position. Throttle and mixture cable positions could not be validated due to the extensive damage. The engine assembly was located 733 feet down range. An external, visual inspection of the engine indicated that the core engine components were intact with no visible damage. The crankshaft could be turned with expected normal resistance.
A review of the aircraft records indicated that the aircraft received a satisfactory 100 hour inspection 45 hours prior to this event, completed on may 16, 2020, with no documented findings. The required annual inspection, airworthiness directives and 91.411, 91.413 inspections were all in compliance with federal regulations, per a review of aircraft records. The aircraft was fully fueled before the flight.
The student pilot was preparing for his private pilot certification ride, scheduled for the next week. A review of his pilot logbook showed the appropriate training, and endorsements, by his certificated flight instructor (CFI). According to his CFI, the student was well prepared and ready for his checkride.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 6, 2020, ABOUT 1523 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT) (1923Z), A CESSNA CE-172M, N13520, CRASHED IN A SOYBEAN FIELD APPROXIMATELY 3.3 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NEW WASHINGTON, INDIANA. THE STUDENT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REGISTERED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM BOWMAN FIELD (LOU), LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ABOUT 1506EDT ON A LOCAL TRAINING FLIGHT.
AN ONSITE INVESTIGATION OF THE WRECKAGE WAS CONDUCTED. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A BARREN AGRICULTURE FIELD, ON THE DOWN SLOPE OF A HILL, WHERE IT TUMBLED, SHEDDING PIECES AND PARTS. THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,006 FEET LONG ACROSS UNDULATING TERRAIN. THE DEBRIS WAS CONTAINED IN A LONG NARROW PATH CONSISTENT WITH A HIGH VELOCITY IMPACT. ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS AND AIRCRAFT PARTS WERE FOUND AT THE SITE AND IDENTIFIED. AN INSPECTION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM INDICATED POSITIVE CONTINUITY OF ALL SYSTEMS. THE PROPELLER WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 137 FEET DOWN RANGE OF THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT. DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE ENGINE MAKING POWER WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN. THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK WAS FOUND 1,006 FEET DOWN RANGE FROM THE POINT OF IMPACT. THE FUEL TANK SKINS WERE BALLOONED BEFORE RUPTURING INDICATING THAT SUBSTANTIAL FUEL WAS ON BOARD. THE AREA AROUND THE FUEL TANKS HAD A STRONG ODOR, CONSISTENT WITH AVIATION FUEL. RECORDS SHOW THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOPPED-OFF WITH FUEL BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE ?BOTH? POSITION. THE FLAPS WERE IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. THE IGNITION SWITCH APPEARED TO BE IN THE ?BOTH? POSITION. THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CABLE POSITIONS COULD NOT BE VALIDATED DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY WAS LOCATED 733 FEET DOWN RANGE. AN EXTERNAL, VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE INDICATED THAT THE CORE ENGINE COMPONENTS WERE INTACT WITH NO VISIBLE DAMAGE. THE CRANKSHAFT COULD BE TURNED WITH EXPECTED NORMAL RESISTANCE.
A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED A SATISFACTORY 100 HOUR INSPECTION 45 HOURS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT, COMPLETED ON MAY 16, 2020, WITH NO DOCUMENTED FINDINGS. THE REQUIRED ANNUAL INSPECTION, AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES AND 91.411, 91.413 INSPECTIONS WERE ALL IN COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS, PER A REVIEW OF AIRCRAFT RECORDS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FULLY FUELED BEFORE THE FLIGHT.
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PREPARING FOR HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATION RIDE, SCHEDULED FOR THE NEXT WEEK. A REVIEW OF HIS PILOT LOGBOOK SHOWED THE APPROPRIATE TRAINING, AND ENDORSEMENTS, BY HIS CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI). ACCORDING TO HIS CFI, THE STUDENT WAS WELL PREPARED AND READY FOR HIS CHECKRIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.