Piper PA-28-161 accident near South Bend, Indiana, April 25, 2005
On April 25, 2005 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N2833F, was substantially damaged in an accident near South Bend, Indiana (South Bend Regional 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 student pilot failed to compensate for the crosswind condition and failed to maintain directional control. Factors included the crosswind and the windsock.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 2005 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- South Bend, Indiana · South Bend Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N2833F · registry record · serial 28-7916452
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage when it veered off the left side of runway 27 and hit the wind sock with its left wing. The solo student pilot, who was on an instructional cross-country flight, was not injured. The student pilot reported that he "taxied onto the runway for departure and the airplane began to pull to the left. I then added more correction but couldn't prevent the aircraft from going off the runway. The left wing hit the wind sock and then the plane came to a rest." The student pilot had a total of 58 hours of flight time with 9.9 hours as pilot in command. The observed surface winds at 1554 were 240 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 21 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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 58 hours in all; 58 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MKG Muskegon MI
- Destination: SBN South Bend IN
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 27L
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.