Cessna 172M accident near Hobart, Indiana, January 6, 2017
On January 6, 2017 at about 7:05 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna 172M, registered N80374, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Hobart, Indiana (Hobart Sky Ranch airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to abort the landing when he recognized the airplane was traveling too fast, which resulted in impact with trees off the end of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 6, 2017 · about 7:05 pm local time
- Place
- Hobart, Indiana · Hobart Sky Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M M, built 1976 · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N80374 · no longer on the register · serial 17266557
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing to the south after his personal flight. He stated that, during the landing, the airplane's ground speed "picked up," and he thought he had a tailwind. The airport owner thought the airplane was traveling at a high speed on approach. The pilot stated that he chose to land, and, as the airplane touched down, it "skipped" off the runway. The airplane then crashed into a wooded area off the departure end of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings, engine, and fuselage. The pilot could not recall what happened between the time the airplane "skipped" off the runway and when emergency personnel arrived. The engine throttle and fuel/air mixture controls were found in the full forward position, and the carburetor heat knob was found in the ON position. The flaps were retracted. The airplane appeared to be partially configured for a go-around; however, the pilot should have aborted the landing when he realized the airplane was traveling too fast.
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 (aborted after touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 170 hours in all; 150 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,968 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 28, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 18, 3,125 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 10°F (-12°C), dew point -8°F (-22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.63 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on June 9, 2020. 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 | Record of Communication - FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Report from Local Police | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memo for Record - Wreckage Description | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.
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.