American General Aircraft AG5B accident near Culver, Indiana, April 22, 2001
On April 22, 2001 at about 4:00 pm local time, a American General Aircraft AG5B, registered N118VU, was substantially damaged in an accident near Culver, Indiana (Fleet Field 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 wrong runway selected by the pilot which resulted in a tailwind landing condition. Factors to the accident were the tailwind, the wet runway, the reduced braking action, and the airport perimeter fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 2001 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Culver, Indiana · Fleet Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American General Aircraft AG5B
- Registration
- N118VU · registry record · serial 10049
- 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 he encountered deteriorating in-flight visibilities and rain along his route of flight and elected to land at the Fleet Field Airport. The pilot reported that during the landing, on runway 34 (2,400 feet by 75 feet, wet/asphalt), braking action was poor due to the wet runway condition. The pilot stated that the aircraft overran the end of the runway, struck the airport perimeter fence, and finally coming to rest on a perimeter road. No anomalies were found with the aircraft control systems, including the brake system, which could be associated with any preexisting condition. At the time of the accident, weather data indicated the winds were 180-degrees magnetic at 6-knots.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 118 hours in all; 118 in this make and model; 51 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 27 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 30, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,100 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 27, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LWV Lawrenceville IL at 2:15 pm
- Destination: GRR Grand Rapids MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 2,400 ft by 65 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,100 ft; scat at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from GSH, 37 miles away
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.