Cessna Aircraft CO 162 accident near Waterloo, Indiana, May 5, 2018
On May 5, 2018 at about 1:30 pm local time, a 2011 Cessna Aircraft CO 162, registered N263VX, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Waterloo, Indiana (Walker/Rowe Waterloo airport). It was a personal 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
The pilot’s improper landing flare during a soft-field landing and his use of an improper soft-field landing procedure, which resulted in a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 5, 2018 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Waterloo, Indiana · Walker/Rowe Waterloo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna Aircraft CO 162, built 2011
- Registration
- N263VX · registry record · serial 16200031
- 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, while landing on a soft, grass runway, the airplane bounced. He added that, as the airplane settled back to the runway, the nosewheel "hit a soft spot" in the turf, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration's Airplane Flying Handbook, FAA-H-8083-3A, contained a section titled, "Soft Field Approach and Landing," which stated: Touchdown on a soft or rough field should be made at the lowest possible airspeed with the airplane in a nose-high pitch attitude. In nose-wheel type airplanes, after the main wheels touch the surface, the pilot should hold sufficient back-elevator pressure to keep the nose wheel off the surface. Using back-elevator pressure and engine power, the pilot can control the rate at which the weight of the airplane is transferred from the wings to the wheels.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing defining event
- Miscellaneous/other during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 233 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 233 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 316.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 5, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,324 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 D1B (piston); 248 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7I2 Muncie IN at 12:30 pm
- Destination: 4C2 Waterloo IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 2,340 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from KGWB, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 1, 2018. 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 | Accident Pictures | 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.