Cessna 172P accident near Council Bluffs, Iowa, April 9, 2002
On April 9, 2002 at about 12:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N53066, was substantially damaged in an accident near Council Bluffs, Iowa (Council Bluffs Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane and the subsequent inadvertent stall. A factor associated with the accident was the student'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
- April 9, 2002 · about 12:10 pm local time
- Place
- Council Bluffs, Iowa · Council Bluffs Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N53066 · no longer on the register · serial 17274677
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with the terrain following a loss of control while landing. The student pilot reported that this was his first landing of the day. He reported that while on final approach, at an altitude of 10 to 20 feet above the ground, at an airspeed of 60 to 65 knots, he heard a loud noise. He stated that the noise sounded as if it was coming from the right side of the airplane behind the passenger seat. The student reported, "Shortly after the noise the airplane started to bank hard to the left, like in a large crosswind. The bank became uncontrollable, even with the yoke turned fully to the right." The pilot reported he increased the throttle slightly, and applied right aileron, but the airplane would not recover. He reported the airplane stayed in the left bank until it contacted the grass next to the taxiway. The pilot stated that he thought the stall warning horn sounded just prior to the airplane impacting the terrain. Postaccident inspection of the airplane failed to reveal any failure/malfunction of the airplane and its flight control systems which would have resulted in the reported loss of control . The student pilot reported having 42 hours of total flight time, 1.6 hours of which were solo flight 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: 42 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,288 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 8, 2002; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CBF Council Bluffs IA at 12:05 pm
- Destination: CBF Council Bluffs IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 12:05 pm from CBF
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.