- Date
- September 26, 2025, 14:53 local (21:53 UTC)
- Place
- Hayden, ID · KCOE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N7373ACessna 172
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 2025
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20250926013659A
- Case key
- 201736
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 inability to maintain control of the airplane during a sudden wind gust resulting in the airplane coming to rest inverted.
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 student pilot had just completed a series of takeoffs and landings with his flight instructor in preparation for a solo flight. After landing, the instructor exited the airplane and the student then taxied to the assigned runway threshold and held short of the runway, per the tower controller’s instructions. While stationary on the taxiway, a strong wind gust lifted the airplane’s tail and right wing. The student maintained pressure on the brake pedals and held the control yoke fully aft. However, the airplane nosed over, and came to rest inverted on the taxiway. The student noted that the gust was significantly stronger than the prevailing winds. As a result of the impact, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, rudder, and vertical stabilizer. The student pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The reported wind around the time of the accident was 13 kts out of the southwest, gusting to 17 kts. The airplane was oriented and subjected to a quartering tailwind.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7373A
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 29473
- Built
- 1956
- Airframe hours
- 4,303.7
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-300 SER, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 5, 2025
- Departed
- KCOE · Hayden, ID
- Airport
- COE · Coeur D'Alene/Pappy Boyington Fld
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 69 total · 69 in this make and model · 13 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 13 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KCOE
- METAR
- METAR KCOE 262056Z AUTO 23013G17KT 10SM CLR 20/M02 A3012 RMK AO2 SLP208 6//// T02001017 56006 PNO $=
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 4, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 119 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.