Cessna 172 accident near Oskaloosa, Iowa, March 11, 2019
On March 11, 2019 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1967 Cessna 172, registered N334SL, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Oskaloosa, Iowa (Oskaloosa Muni 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 failure to maintain directional control during landing with a left quartering tailwind, which resulted in a runway excursion, impact with a snowbank, and a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 11, 2019 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Oskaloosa, Iowa · Oskaloosa Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 H, built 1967 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N334SL · registry record · serial 17256385
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that, during the landing roll, while he was reaching for the flap levers, the airplane veered left, exited the runway, struck a snowbank, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 15 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 170° at 11 knots. The student landed the airplane on runway 31.
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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Snow/ice › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 22 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 3, 2018; 3,565 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300D (piston); 3,565 hours total
- Operator: Midwest Aviation Service Inc
The flight
- Departed from: OOA Oskaloosa IA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: OOA Oskaloosa IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 4,012 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from KOOA
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 June 27, 2019. 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 Photo | 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.