Cessna Aircraft CO 162 accident near Indianapolis, Indiana, May 25, 2021
On May 25, 2021 at about 10:50 pm local time, a 2012 Cessna Aircraft CO 162, registered N162TW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Indianapolis, Indiana (Indianapolis Metro 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 pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 2021 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Indianapolis, Indiana · Indianapolis Metro · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna Aircraft CO 162, built 2012
- Registration
- N162TW · registry record · serial 16200224
- 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 on a solo flight and had completed two touch-and-go landings. During the third landing approach, the airplane was too high, so he completed a go-around. During the next approach, the airplane bounced on the runway, porpoised, and the nose landing gear separated. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and firewall. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies 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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 26 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,329.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 13, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors O-200-D (piston); 2,378 hours total
- Operator: Tom Wood Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: UMP Indianapolis IN at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15/3, 5,201 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from KTYQ, 11 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KTYQ 252255Z AUTO 19010KT 10SM SCT060 BKN075 BKN120 28/16 A3004 RMK AO2 T02780164
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN21LA246.