Cessna 172M accident near Sturgis, South Dakota, November 11, 2011
On November 11, 2011 at about 4:05 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N13584, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Sturgis, South Dakota (Sturgis Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff with extended flaps.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 2011 · about 4:05 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Sturgis, South Dakota · Sturgis Municipal Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N13584 · no longer on the register · serial 17262858
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor stated that during the student pilot’s second solo landing, the airplane’s flaps were not retracted before the next takeoff. After takeoff, the airplane pitched up to a 60-degree nose-up attitude. According to the flight instructor, the airplane’s engine sounded like it was developing full power. The airplane entered a half-turn spin and impacted the terrain vertically. Postaccident examination showed that the flaps were extended and revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction or anomaly that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicology tests detected acetaminophen and diphenhydramine in the pilot's urine. Although diphenhydramine can cause drowsiness, the investigation could not determine whether it contributed to the accident.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during prior to flight
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Wing structure › Trailing edge flaps › Incorrect use/operation other cases naming the airframe structure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience › Student pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 10 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 6 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,570.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 15, 2011; 24 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bear Butte Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: 49B Sturgis SD at 3:00 pm
- Destination: 49B Sturgis SD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 5,100 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from RCA, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
11 documents, released by the NTSB on September 21, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Miscellaneous - Pilot Logbook Excerpts | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Miscellaneous - Airplane Annual Inspection Excerpts | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Miscellaneous - Communication Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Lycoming | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Cessna | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Miscellaneous - FAA Forensic Toxicology's Webdrugs Website Descriptions | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Miscellaneous - CHI01LA051 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N13584 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N13584: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,686 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D 259 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Sturgis Municipal · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in South Dakota 469 since 1982 · 69 in the last ten years
- South Dakota 2,275 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N13584 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12LA059.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.