- Date
- January 28, 2026, 10:07 local (15:07 UTC)
- Place
- Lafayette, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N51204Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Abrupt maneuver
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 13, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260128001279A
- Case key
- 202383
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 inadequate supervision of the student during a stall recovery that developed into unusual attitude and exceedance of the airplane’s never exceed airspeed which resulted in structural damage to the airplane.
Findings · 3
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
The flight instructor and student departed on a local instructional flight which was the student pilot’s third flight lesson to practice maneuvers. During a power-off stall recovery, the student pilot excessively pitched the airplane down and added full throttle. The student pilot froze on the controls and before the flight instructor could gain control of the airplane, the airplane accelerated past the “never exceed” (Vne) airspeed. The flight instructor slowed the airplane below Vne and gently recovered the airplane out of the dive. Suspecting structural damage, the pilot declared an emergency and return back to the airport without further incident. A post flight examination found damage to both wings and vertical stabilizer. The flight instructor reported that the accident could have been prevented with a “[m]ore complete briefing prior to completing any training maneuver” and “[p]roper preparedness to respond to incorrect/dangerous student actions.” The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51204
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (P)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274279
- Built
- 1980
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Purdue Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Purdue Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KLAF · Lafayette, IN
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- LAF
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 28, 2025
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 331 total · 125 in this make and model · 277 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2 total · 1 in this make and model · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -4 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- KLAF, 14 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KLAF 281454Z 25003KT 10SM CLR M18/M20 A3028 RMK AO2 SLP268 T11781200 56002=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 13, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 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.