Cessna 172 accident near Madison, Indiana, March 3, 2020
On March 3, 2020 at about 10:06 pm local time, a 1978 Cessna 172, registered N5815E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Madison, Indiana (Madison Muni 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 flight instructor's failure to maintain directional control during landing in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 2020 · about 10:06 pm local time
- Place
- Madison, Indiana · Madison Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 N, built 1978 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N5815E · registry record · serial 17271942
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight instructor, during the third approach, he took the controls from the student pilot and informed the student that he would land the airplane. The airplane was configured with "minimal flaps" due to gusting crosswind conditions. During landing, the wind shifted from a quartering headwind to a direct crosswind. The airplane bounced on touchdown and subsequently exited the right side of the runway, entered soft mud, and then nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing lift strut. The instructor stated that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Flight time: 4 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,127 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 1,043 as pilot in command; 96 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 24, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,769.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4N (piston); 1,830 hours total
- Operator: Honaker Group LLC
The flight
- Departed from: IMS Madison IN at 9:20 pm
- Destination: IMS Madison IN
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 21, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 19 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Observation at 9:55 pm from IMS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 7, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Video | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo | 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 N5815E the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.