Yakovlev YAK C-11 accident near North Vernon, Indiana, March 16, 1996
On March 16, 1996 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Yakovlev YAK C-11, registered N9YK, was substantially damaged in an accident near North Vernon, Indiana (North Vernon Municipal 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
Failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed during an aborted landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 1996 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- North Vernon, Indiana · North Vernon Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Yakovlev YAK C-11
- Registration
- N9YK · no longer on the register · serial 172612
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that as he was crossing the threshold for landing, he detected 'an excessive sink rate.' The pilot applied aft stick pressure and climbed to approximately 20 feet AGL, then applied power. The airplane rolled left. The left wing tip struck the terrain about 20 feet left of the runway, followed by the propeller and cowling. The airplane then 'spun in a counter-clockwise direction and fell to the ground, coming to rest with the nose pointed toward the runway, approximately 40 feet from the runway's edge.' Examination of the wreckage at the scene revealed no anomalies which contributed to 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: 1,249 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,249 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 27, 1995; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Shvetsov A-SH21 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LOU Louisville KY at 2:00 pm
- Destination: OVO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 4,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from BAK, 19 miles away
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.