Cessna 172S accident near Anderson, Indiana, November 21, 2004
On November 21, 2004 at about 8:25 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N967SA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anderson, Indiana (Anderson Municipal-Darlington airport). It was a personal 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 improper flare and his inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 21, 2004 · about 8:25 pm local time
- Place
- Anderson, Indiana · Anderson Municipal-Darlington · map
- 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
- N967SA · registry record · serial 172S9067
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane, piloted by a student pilot, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing. The pilot stated that he propoised four times. He said, "I was surprised by the magnitude of the second bounce, which I estimated to be 5-6 feet. I added power to flatten the porpoise-condition, and retained the yoke in position. There was a brief delay in moving one hand from the yoke to the throttle plus the delay in recognition of the magnitude of the bounce and porpoising effect. However, it appears to me that at the time I added power, I was already in the downward arc of the porpoise. Adding power did little in that instant but drive the front down faster before the elevators could provide lift. I felt like I had a hard three-point landing or had struck the nose wheel first. I believe the propeller struck during the third contact, but I was not aware of it having happened then."
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 54 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 9 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 22, 2004; 69.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Victory Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: SBN South Bend IN at 7:00 pm
- Destination: AID Anderson IN
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 30, 4,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 9:52 pm from AID
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI05CA035.