Cessna 172R accident near Louisville, Kentucky, August 18, 2021
On August 18, 2021 at about 11:57 am local time, a 1998 Cessna 172R, registered N62LU, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Louisville, Kentucky (Bowman Fld 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
A loss of directional on takeoff for reasons that could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2021 · about 11:57 am local time
- Place
- Louisville, Kentucky · Bowman Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R, built 1998 · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N62LU · registry record · serial 17280590
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and student were attempting to takeoff with the student as pilot flying. The student said the airplane was pulling left and the flight instructor told him to counteract it with right rudder, but it did not seem to help. The student then applied full right rudder and he said it felt like something released and the steering overcorrected to the right. The flight instructor immediately took control, but the airplane subsequently impacted a sign, which resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage and empennage. A post-accident examination of the airplane’s flight controls revealed no mechanical anomalies. The instructor reported that the airplane had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 285 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 213 as pilot in command; 33 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 23, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: flight engineer
- Flight time: 18 hours in all; 18 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,326.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 14, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,180 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming I0360 SER (piston); 2,504 hours total
- Operator: Louisville Aircraft Leasing LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06/2, 4,358 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 am from LOU
Weather report (METAR): 181153Z 00000KT 9SM CLR 21/20 A3009
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.