Cessna 172S accident near Salina, Kansas, June 9, 2022
On June 9, 2022 at about 2:30 am local time, a 2011 Cessna 172S, registered N831KS, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Salina, Kansas (Salina Regional 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 poor pitch control during an aborted takeoff which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2022 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Salina, Kansas · Salina Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S, built 2011 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N831KS · no longer on the register · serial 172S11107
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while taxiing for a local night flight, he heard a slight noise that originated from the front of the airplane. When the stopped the airplane short of the runway, the noise stopped. During the takeoff roll, a louder noise occurred and shortly after the airplane lifted off the ground, the pilot elected to abort the takeoff and pitched nose down. The airplane contacted the runway and bounced multiple times, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident examination conducted by maintenance personnel could not determine a reason for the noise. A flight instructor, who flew the airplane earlier in the day, reported that he heard a noise that he thought was coming from the nosewheel shimmy dampener. Except for the noise the pilot heard, he reported no other 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
- Abnormal runway contact during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 183 hours in all; 183 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 101 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 8, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,711 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 11, 2022; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-LTA (piston); 9,121 hours total
- Operator: Kansas State University - Salina
The flight
- Departed from: SLN Salina KS at 2:30 am
- Destination: SLN Salina KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 12,301 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KSLN
Weather report (METAR): KSLN 090253Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 21/14 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP166 T02110144 53008
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on July 22, 2022. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Damage Assessment | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Flight School Information | 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.