# NTSB CEN25LA332: Cessna 172, N1401E, Air Force Academy, CO, August 21, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: August 21, 2025, 07:40 local (13:40 UTC)
- Place: Air Force Academy, CO
- Coordinates: 38.970032, -104.81438 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.9700&lon=-104.8144&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Prior to flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/100) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Prior to flight: Preflight or dispatch event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/030)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 200835
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN25LA332
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200835/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200835
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA332

## Probable cause

The student pilot’s failure to perform an adequate preflight inspection.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Inspection: preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 551 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Prior to flight: Preflight or dispatch event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/030) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/030/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 355 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/030/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The student pilot departed on a solo flight, and after takeoff, he saw the airplane’s wheel chocks hanging on the right wing strut. Due to the proximity of the chocks to the wing flaps, a no-flap landing was performed. The airplane landed without further incident. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the underside of the right wing had been struck numerous times by the wheel chocks which resulted in substantial damage to a wing rib. The flight school allowed for the storage of wheel chocks on the wing struts, then relying on the pilot to stow them inside the airplane during the preflight inspection. Following the accident, the flight school manager prohibited this practice and the chocks would be stowed inside the airplane when not in use.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N1401E](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1401E), registered now, S/N 17270986, built 1978 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172 (N)
- Registry model: [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (registry code 2072434) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 17270986
- Year built: 1978
- Airframe hours: 14924
- Engines: Lycoming O-360-A4M 180 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: United States Air Force Aero Club
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, July 24, 2025
- Departed: KAFF, USAF Academy, CO
- Flight plan: VFR
- Airport: KAFF, Usaf Academy Davis Airfield, runway 34C, 4,501 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Student pilot; age 19; injuries: none; student; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 63 total, 22.8 in this make and model, 8.48 as pilot in command, 29.4 in the last 90 days, 15.5 in the last 30 days, 0.8 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 10° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 63 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter: 30.30 inHg
- Observed at: KAFF
- METAR: KAFF 211355Z AUTO 01004KT 10SM CLR 17/08 A3030 RMK AO2 SLP163 T01650082

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20250821011129A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250821011129A), Aug 21, 2025: Cessna 172N, Colorado Spring, CO, Substantial damage. On 08/21/2025 a student pilot prepared for a solo flight in a CE-172N. Aircraft was getting prepped for the flight by the flight instructor while the student…

## Docket (3 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 18, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200835. 3.1 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 2.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19210261&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CEN25LA332%20NTSB%20Form%206120_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Photos (item 2, PDF, 3 pages, 2 photos, 561 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19209961&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=cen25la332%20photos%202-Rel.pdf
- Record of conversation manager (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 62 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19211440&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ROC%20Aero%20Club%20Manager-Rel.pdf

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.

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