Cessna 172 accident near David City, Nebraska, April 18, 1996
On April 18, 1996 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N7627T, was substantially damaged in an accident near David City, Nebraska (David City Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the instructor pilot failed to maintain control of the aircraft during a soft field takeoff. Factors were the gusting winds and the soft field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 1996 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- David City, Nebraska · David City Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N7627T · no longer on the register · serial 47227
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor reported that prior to the first soft field takeoff he set 10 degrees of flaps, and used left aileron to compensate for a left crosswind. The winds were reported to be 290 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 20 knots. He reported that at about 50 miles per hour, the airplane became airborne. The stall warning horn sounded and he eased over on the nose in order to increase airspeed. A 'couple of seconds' after easing the nose over, the right landing gear hit the ground and the right wingtip hit a runway marker cone. Then the left landing gear hit hard and the instructor aborted the takeoff. The airplane veered off the runway into a muddy beanfield and nosed over.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 573 hours in all; 472 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,460 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 30, 1995; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OLU Columbus NE at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 2,300 ft by 300 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 311° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:34 pm from OLU, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.