Cessna 172R accident near Lafayette, Indiana, March 17, 2009
On March 17, 2009 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N2382R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Lafayette, Indiana (Purdue University Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper flare. Contributing to the accident were the wind gusts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 2009 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lafayette, Indiana · Purdue University Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N2382R · registry record · serial 17280700
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while performing a touch-and-go landing, a gust of wind turned the airplane. He stated that he applied some power and straightened the airplane out, but that the airplane came down hard, bouncing several times and collapsing the nose landing gear before the airplane came to a stop. The firewall and fuselage skins showed evidence of buckling.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 62 hours in all; 62 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,395 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming I0-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAF Lafayette IN at 6:00 pm
- Destination: LAF Lafayette IN
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 23, 4,225 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from LAF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N2382R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN09CA217.