Cessna 172SP accident near Indianapolis, Indiana, May 23, 2006
On May 23, 2006 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172SP, registered N409TA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Indianapolis, Indiana (Eagle Creek 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 pilot's improper flare during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 2006 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Indianapolis, Indiana · Eagle Creek Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172SP · all 172SPs on the register
- Registration
- N409TA · no longer on the register · serial 172S9040
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage during a hard landing. The airplane was configured with full flaps and 80 knots on final. The pilot reported that the airplane was about 20 - 25 feet above the runway as it was "floating down the runway" and bleeding off airspeed. He reported, "Suddenly it seemed that the plane just dropped." The pilot reported the airplane ballooned so he added full throttle and aborted the landing. He returned to the departure airport and landed without incident. The inspection of the airplane revealed that the stall warning system operated. An avionics technician inspected the airspeed indicator and it indicated the correct airspeeds. The post accident inspection of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies that could be associated with a pre-impact condition.
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: 223 hours in all; 172 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 223 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UMP Indianapolis IN at 2:15 pm
- Destination: EYE Indianapolis IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03
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.