Cessna 172 accident near Auburn, Indiana, August 13, 1995
On August 13, 1995 at about 3:50 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N162BA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Auburn, Indiana (De Kalb County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's impairment of judgement and performance due to alcohol which led to his failure to maintain control of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 1995 · about 3:50 pm local time
- Place
- Auburn, Indiana · De Kalb County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N162BA · registry record · serial 17262313
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE AIRCRAFT'S WINGS BANKING LEFT AND RIGHT ON FINAL APPROACH. NEAR MIDFIELD THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT IN A LEFT WING LOW, NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND NOSED OVER. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED, HEADED EAST, APPROXIMATELY 2850 FEET WEST OF THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD AND 75 FEET LEFT (SOUTH) OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE PILOT WAS EJECTED THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD OF THE AIRCRAFT AND RESCUE PERSONNEL FOUND HIM PINNED UNDER THE RIGHT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT IN PROXIMITY OF THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK. INVESTIGATORS REPORTED THAT THE PILOT'S SEATBELT AND SHOULDER BELT SHOWED NO SIGNS OF DAMAGE AND LATCHED AND RELEASED PROPERLY. THE PILOT'S BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL WAS 0.08% WHEN ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL 1 HOUR AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
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: 133 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,813 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 30, 1995; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 07C at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from FWA, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 CHI95LA268.