Cessna 172B accident near Frankfort, Kentucky, June 13, 2014
On June 13, 2014 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1960 Cessna 172B, registered N7540X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Frankfort, Kentucky (Capital City Ap airport). It was an instructional 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 failure to maintain directional control during landing in crosswind conditions, resulting in a loss of control and runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 2014 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Frankfort, Kentucky · Capital City Ap · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172B, built 1960 · all 172Bs on the register
- Registration
- N7540X · no longer on the register · serial 17248040
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot, he was attempting a touch-and-go landing on runway 25, with a strong crosswind out of the north. The airplane touched down on the left main gear first, and the wind turned the airplane 45 degrees away from the runway heading. He attempted to regain directional control; however, he observed parked airplanes and a fueling station ahead. As the airplane departed the runway onto the grass, he attempted a go around. After becoming airborne, the nose gear and the left wing collided with a hill and the airplane bounced. The airplane stalled and came down on the nose and right wing tip before coming to a stop. A post-accident examination of the wreckage confirmed substantial damage to the firewall, both wings, and the aft fuselage. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 20 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,441 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 25, 2014; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor 0-300 SER (piston); 3,444 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FFT Frankfort KY at 7:50 pm
- Destination: FFT Frankfort KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 5,506 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from FFT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on October 15, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - FAA Inspector (#2) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Data - Frankfort, Ky | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 1 - Wreckage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 2 - Underside of Fuselage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 3 - Outboard Section of Right Wing (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo 4 - Outboard Section of Left Wing (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.