Cessna 172 accident near Rush City, Minnesota, November 20, 2015
On November 20, 2015 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna 172, registered N1180U, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Rush City, Minnesota (Rush City Rgnl airport). It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot did not maintain directional control of the airplane and applied excessive right rudder during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 20, 2015 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Rush City, Minnesota · Rush City Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 M, built 1976 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N1180U · registry record · serial 17266881
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was completing his first solo flight and had already done eight takeoffs and landings. On the ninth landing, the airspeed was higher than normal and the airplane porpoised. When the airplane touched down the student pilot applied excessive right rudder. The airplane veered right and departed the right side of the runway into the soft wet ground. The airplane nosed into the mud and then came to rest upright. The left wing impacted the ground and was substantially damaged. The operator reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student/instructed pilot
Dual student
- Flight time: 25 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,569.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 27, 2015; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 6,680 hours total
- Operator: Hawk Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: ROS Rush City MN at 6:00 pm
- Destination: ROS Rush City MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 4,397 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from KROS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 12, 2016. 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 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.