Cessna 172M accident near Louisville, Kentucky, January 30, 2022
On January 30, 2022 at about 6:56 pm local time, a 1972 Cessna 172M, registered N20312, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Louisville, Kentucky (Bowman Fld 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing in cross wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 30, 2022 · about 6:56 pm local time
- Place
- Louisville, Kentucky · Bowman Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M, built 1972 · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N20312 · registry record · serial 17261182
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was practicing touch and go landings from the right seat. During landing, there was a right cross wind that he did not correct for, and the airplane veered left off the runway and into a sign. During the impact, the left main landing gear fractured and rotated backwards, and the left horizontal stabilizer forward spar was substantially damaged.
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
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on equipment
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Crosswind correction › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 288 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 235 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 31, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,887 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 19, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320-E2D (piston); 5,965 hours total
- Operator: Cardinal Wings Aviation LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 4,358 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KLOU
Weather report (METAR): KLOU 301853Z 25007KT 10SM CLR 06/M04 A2989 RMK AO2 SLP125 T00611044
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA22LA111.