Cessna 152 accident near Goshen, Indiana, May 22, 2000
On May 22, 2000 at about 6:50 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N68182, was substantially damaged in an accident near Goshen, Indiana (Goshen Municipal 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 failure of the student pilot to maintain directional control on the takeoff roll. Factors to the accident were the lack of experience of the student pilot and the improper use of the throttle.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2000 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Goshen, Indiana · Goshen Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N68182 · no longer on the register · serial 15282165
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a first solo flight, the student pilot lost directional control of the aircraft, hit a runway light, and nosed over during an attempted touch and go. The student pilot described the accident as, 'I put in full power then wind started to blow from the right and I started to move to the left because of wind and p factor. I stomped on right rudder to correct for the problem and the plane started to skip so I let go and then it turned left in to grass. It was fine until I hit a ramp in the grass and launched the plane up, but it did not have enough airspeed to take off, so the plane went down and hit on the nose and flipped it. I should have pulled power but I panicked.'
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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 18 hours in all; 18 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,962 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 3, 2000; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GSH at 6:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from GSH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.