Cessna 172 accident near Council Bluffs, Iowa, September 15, 2021
On September 15, 2021 at about 12:45 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 172, registered N767CG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Council Bluffs, Iowa (Council Bluffs Muni 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’s failure to maintain directional control during a touch and go landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 15, 2021 · about 12:45 pm local time · cases in 2021
- Place
- Council Bluffs, Iowa · Council Bluffs Muni · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172, built 1977 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N767CG · registry record · serial 17269309
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that while performing a touch and go landing, the airplane drifted to the left edge of the runway. The student pilot advanced the throttle to full power, but he was unable to maintain directional control of the airplane. The airplane became airborne momentarily, but subsequently descended and impacted terrain on both sides of the runway before coming to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
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 on ground during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 26 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mindy Limited LLC
The flight
- Departed from: CBF Council Bluffs IA at 12:30 pm
- Destination: CBF Council Bluffs IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14/3, 3,650 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 am from KCBF
Weather report (METAR): KCBF 151235Z AUTO 14006KT 8SM CLR 13/13 A3004 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 16, 2021. 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 | Photo of Damage | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N767CG on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,678 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,683 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M 418 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Council Bluffs Municipal · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Iowa 869 since 1982 · 129 in the last ten years
- Iowa 4,509 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN21LA433.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.