- Date
- April 16, 2026, 19:00 local (Apr 17, 2026, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Topeka, KS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N84794Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Taxi: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20260416008039A
- Case key
- 202838
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 student pilot’s failure to maintain situational awareness while taxiing which resulted in a collision with fence poles on either side of a gate which was not intended for airplanes.
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 operator reported that the student pilot was cleared by air traffic control to taxi behind another airplane. While taxiing, the other airplane witnessed the student pilot turn the airplane off the taxiway, taxi through a row of hangars, and onto the main vehicle access road that led into the airport. The student pilot then attempted to taxi the airplane through an access gate (for cars) that was too narrow for the airplane, and both wings struck the gate posts which resulted in substantial damage to both wings. An airport rescue and fire fighter asked the pilot to recount the moments before impact with the gate. The student pilot stated, “to be honest, I forgot I had wings.” The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N84794
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (K)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17258615
- Built
- 1969
- Airframe hours
- 2,144.1
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Odyssey Aircraft LLC
- Registered owner
- Odyssey Aircraft LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 19, 2026
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- TOP · Philip Billard Municipal Airport
- Equipment
- ADS-B, 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 17 total · 16 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.76 inHg
- Observed at
- KTOP
- METAR
- METAR KTOP 162353Z 17011KT 10SM CLR 26/15 A2976 RMK AO2 SLP074 T02560150 10283 20256 55009=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 9, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.