Cessna 172S accident near Sioux Falls, South Dakota, January 4, 2001
On January 4, 2001 at about 4:46 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N727SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sioux Falls, South Dakota (Joe Foss Field). 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
Aircraft directional control not being maintained by the student pilot during the takeoff roll. Factors to the accident were the snow bank and the student pilot's lack of total experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 2001 · about 4:46 pm local time
- Place
- Sioux Falls, South Dakota · Joe Foss Field
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N727SP · registry record · serial 172S8664
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot lost directional control of the aircraft during a takeoff run while practicing solo touch-and-go landings. The pilot stated that after a successful landing he initiated a takeoff and, "as I added power the airplane seemed to shimmy at which time I tried to correct the plane. As I was unable to correct I powered back to idle and tried to stop which is when the plane went off the left side of the runway and hit a windrow of snow." The pilot reported, "Hitting the snow made the planes [plane's] tail lift and spin around which made the right wing hit the ground causing damage." The pilot stated that his total time in all aircraft was 24.1-hours and all hours were flown in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot reported that he had accumulated 1.4-hours of pilot-in-command time.
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: 24 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 21 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 4, 2000; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FSD Sioux Falls SD at 4:46 pm
- Destination: FSD Sioux Falls SD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 6,670 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from FSD
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.