Cessna 172R accident near North Vernon, Indiana, July 23, 2015
On July 23, 2015 at about 2:00 am local time, a 2003 Cessna 172R, registered N133VU, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near North Vernon, Indiana (North Vernon 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during the landing touchdown, resulting in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2015 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- North Vernon, Indiana · North Vernon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R R, built 2003 · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N133VU · registry record · serial 17281190
- 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 during the landing touchdown at night, she underestimated how high she was. She reported that the airplane landed on the main landing gear, "bounced back up," then landed on the nose landing gear, and that "it was a hard landing, bouncing a couple of times." A postflight inspection revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 77 hours in all; 77 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 28 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 13, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,191.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 3, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 4,148 hours total
- Operator: Vincennes University
The flight
- Departed from: EYE Indianapolis IN at 1:34 am
- Destination: OVO North Vernon IN
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 05, 5,002 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from KBAK, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 10, 2015. 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 | Photo 1 - Firewall (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.