Cessna 172N accident near Greenwood, Indiana, July 12, 2023
On July 12, 2023 at about 8:55 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna 172N, registered N701DE, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Greenwood, Indiana (Indy South Greenwood 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 takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 2023 · about 8:55 pm local time
- Place
- Greenwood, Indiana · Indy South Greenwood Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N, built 1976 · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N701DE · no longer on the register · serial 17268367
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While performing a soft-field takeoff, the student pilot lost directional control of the airplane during the takeoff roll. He attempted to correct with the application of rudder and brake inputs but was unsuccessful, and the airplane came to rest upright in a ditch adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The student pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 34 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Runway 19, 5,102 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 16 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from KIND, 11 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KIND 122054Z 18016G23KT 10SM FEW055 FEW150 BKN250 30/18 A2988 RMK AO2 SLP111 T03000183 58017
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 28, 2023. 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 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | 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.