Cessna 172S accident near Knox, Indiana, June 25, 2014
On June 25, 2014 at about 4:02 pm local time, a 2006 Cessna 172S, registered N1307C, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Knox, Indiana (Starke County airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's use of excessive back pressure on the flight controls during an attempted go around that induced a stall and loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 2014 · about 4:02 pm local time
- Place
- Knox, Indiana · Starke County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S S, built 2006 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N1307C · registry record · serial 172S10337
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor and student pilot reported the student pilot was practicing landings. During the first landing, after crossing the runway numbers, the airplane touched down and "ballooned" back up into the air. The airplane "bounced" on the runway a second time and the instructor pilot told the student to apply full power and perform a go around. The student applied full power and pulled back hard on the control yoke. The nose of the airplane pitched up, the airplane drifted to the left and stalled, subsequently impacting terrain off the left side of the runway. No mechanical malfunction/failure with the airplane that would have precluded normal airplane operation was reported.
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
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Knowledge › Knowledge of procedures › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Instructor/check pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 25 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 252 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 179 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 19, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,674 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 11, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 1,674 hours total
- Operator: J A Flight Services LLC
The flight
- Departed from: OXI Knox IN
- Destination: OXI Knox IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,401 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from KOXI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.