Cessna 172P accident near Bloomington, Indiana, January 16, 1997
On January 16, 1997 at about 8:11 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N51448, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bloomington, Indiana (Monroe County airport). It was a business 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 pilot failed to maintain control of the aircraft. Factors included the icy runway and the crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 1997 · about 8:11 pm local time
- Place
- Bloomington, Indiana · Monroe County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N51448 · registry record · serial 17274313
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he landed on runway 35 and that the runway was covered with ice. He reported that the aircraft's speed was almost at taxi speed when a gust of wind caused the airplane to weathervane to the left. The pilot attempted differential braking while using crosswind aileron application. The pilot reported that the aircraft continued to slide off the left side of the runway. The airplane impacted a snow bank and nosed over to the vertical position before falling back on its landing gear. The official winds were 280 degrees at 15 knots. Runway 17/35 had been NOTAMed for thin packed or compacted snow/ice on the runway, sanded, braking action poor.
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: 208 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,979 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 30, 1996; 7,900 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LOU Louisville KY at 7:10 pm
- Destination: BMG
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 6,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 14°F (-10°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from BMG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.