- Date
- March 3, 2020, 17:06 local (22:06 UTC)
- Place
- Madison, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5815ECessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 29, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20200303001599A
- Case key
- 101029
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The flight instructor's failure to maintain directional control during landing in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and nose-over.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the flight instructor, during the third approach, he took the controls from the student pilot and informed the student that he would land the airplane. The airplane was configured with "minimal flaps" due to gusting crosswind conditions. During landing, the wind shifted from a quartering headwind to a direct crosswind. The airplane bounced on touchdown and subsequently exited the right side of the runway, entered soft mud, and then nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing lift strut. The instructor stated that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor, during the third approach, he took the controls and informed the student that he would land the airplane. The airplane was configured with "minimal flaps" due to the gusting crosswind conditions. The instructor reported that during landing, the wind shifted from a quartering headwind, to a direct crosswind. The airplane bounced on touchdown and subsequently exited the right side of the runway. It entered the soft mud surface and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut. The METAR at the accident airport reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 260° at 17 knots and gusting to 25 knots. The airplane landed on runway 21.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5815E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17271942
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 1,769.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4N, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Honaker Group LLC
- Registered owner
- Honaker Group LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2019
- Departed
- IMS · Madison, IN
- Destination
- IMS · Madison, IN
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- IMS · Madison Muni, runway 21, 5,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 18
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 4 total · 4 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 24, 2018
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,127 total · 20 in this make and model · 1,043 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 19 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Observed at
- IMS
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 7, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.