20260513006619I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172I · Montrose, CO · May 13, 2026

Date
May 13, 2026 · 08:00 local
Place
Montrose, CO
Airport
Montrose Regional
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8489L
Reported as
Cessna 172I
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
29 total25 in this make and model19 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The student pilot conducted three touch-and-go landings with a certified flight instructor (CFI) in slight crosswind conditions prior to the solo flight. During the pilot in command's (PIC) first solo flight, a crosswind gust during touchdown caused the aircraft to veer, and the pilot failed to correct the deviation. This resulted in minor damage to the aircraft, including a propeller strike and landing gear damage. There were no injuries to the sole occupant. A review of the pilot's logbooks confirmed that the appropriate endorsements were in place.

As the FAA filed it

THE STUDENT PILOT CONDUCTED THREE TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS WITH A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) IN SLIGHT CROSSWIND CONDITIONS PRIOR TO THE SOLO FLIGHT. DURING THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S (PIC) FIRST SOLO FLIGHT, A CROSSWIND GUST DURING TOUCHDOWN CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER, AND THE PILOT FAILED TO CORRECT THE DEVIATION. THIS RESULTED IN MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, INCLUDING A PROPELLER STRIKE AND LANDING GEAR DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE SOLE OCCUPANT. A REVIEW OF THE PILOT'S LOGBOOKS CONFIRMED THAT THE APPROPRIATE ENDORSEMENTS WERE IN PLACE.