Cessna 172N accident near Monroe, Washington, May 26, 2025
On May 26, 2025 at about 11:15 pm local time, a 1980 Cessna 172N, registered N6132G, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Monroe, Washington (First Air Field). It was an instructional 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during landing, and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in impact with a ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 2025 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Monroe, Washington · First Air Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N, built 1980 · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6132G · registry record · serial 17273570
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot and instructor were practicing short field landings at an airport with a 34-foot-wide runway. While performing the second landing, the student pilot landed left of the runway centerline, and the left tire entered the grass along the runway edge. Both the student pilot and instructor attempted to correct by applying right rudder, however the airplane continued to veer left. The airplane subsequently impacted a ditch filled with tall grass, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The flight instructor reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Effect on operation
- 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
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,434.8 hours in all; 433 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 1,313.5 as pilot in command; 919.1 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 18, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 54 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 45.2 in the last 90 days; 14.8 in the last 30 days; 1.1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 19,106.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 14, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 5,044 hours total
- Operator: Morcom Aviation Services INC
The flight
- Departed from: KPAE Everett WA at 10:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 2,087 ft by 34 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from KAWO, 19 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KAWO 262256Z AUTO 22006KT 10SM BKN050 18/08 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP216 T01830078
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 28, 2025. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 WPR25LA162.