Cessna 172R accident near Owensboro, Kentucky, June 19, 2022
On June 19, 2022 at about 1:45 pm local time, a 1999 Cessna 172R, registered N35491, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Owensboro, Kentucky (Owensboro-Daviess County Rgnl 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 student pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a loss of control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2022 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Owensboro, Kentucky · Owensboro-Daviess County Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R, built 1999 · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N35491 · registry record · serial 17281069
- 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 practicing touch-and-go landings. During the landing flare, the student pilot said that it “felt like a normal landing, but the airplane started to porpoise.” Once the airplane touched down, the student pilot tried to recover control of the airplane by pulling back on the yoke but, the airplane started to skid. He then overcompensated by applying too much rudder input, and the airplane veered off the runway, colliding with a taxiway sign. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer. The student pilot reported that there was no pre-accident 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 (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 22 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,352 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 16, 2022; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CKV Clarksville TN at 1:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 am from OWB
Weather report (METAR): KOWB 191356Z 11009KT 10SM CLR 22/08 A3026 RMK AO2 SLP244 T02170083
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 17, 2022. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 2 pages | 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.