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IAD96LA125

1996-08-04 · CINCINNATI, Ohio, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport LUK

Current FAA registration · N172PS

Make / Model
CESSNA 172H
Year of manufacture
1967 · 29 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR 0-300-D (145 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20180810
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A121F1

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

failure of the student pilot to maintain sufficient airspeed during an attempted go-around, which resulted in a stall/spin and an uncontrolled collision with the ground. A factor related to the accident was: an improper (premature) flare for landing.

Factual narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On August 4, 1996, at about 1701 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N172PS, operated by ASAP Aviation International Inc., crashed off the side of runway 21L while a student pilot was practicing solo touch & go landings at the Lunken Airport, Cincinnati, Ohio. The student pilot was not injured and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions existed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the Federal Aviation Administration Inspector assigned to this case the flight departed Lunken Airport (LUK) at about 1600, for the purpose of VFR dual flight instruction. The Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) flew east into the local practice area with his student for the purpose of proficiency and evaluation in preparation for solo. At the completion of the dual session in the practice area, the CFI instructed his student to return to Lunken Airport. Upon arriving at LUK, the CFI required his student to complete several touch and goes. Satisfying himself that his student was prepared for her first supervised solo, he endorsed the student's log book and the back of her student pilot certificate. The student pilot, now acting as the pilot in command, taxied out for a departure on runway 21 Left at LUK. She was instructed to make 3 touch and goes and a full stop landing. On her first touch and go she departed on the left parallel runway. For traffic considerations, LUK tower moved her over to 21 Right for her first landing. Her execution of the landing on runway 21R was uneventful. On her climb out LUK tower moved her back over to runway 21L, the original planned runway for all subsequent touch and goes. On her second attempted landing she flared 20 or more feet above the surface of the runway. Realizing her error, she attempted to apply full throttle, pitch the nose over to gain airspeed until she could retract the wing flaps, which were fully extended. She attempted to execute a go-around. Her pitch over was insufficient and she stalled the aircraft. The aircraft veered to the left, pitched down and upon impact with the ground did a complete reversal before coming to rest east of runway 21L.

WRECKAGE EXAMINATION/DOCUMENTATION

The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left wing, right wind, right main gear, empannage and propeller, as a result of the impact. No pre-existing damage or system failures were noted. The student pilot was on her first solo flight. She was instructed by her flight instructor (CFI) to make 3 touch-and-go landings and one full stop landing while he watched. For her first touch-and-go, she departed on the left parallel runway. For traffic considerations, the tower controller cleared her to runway 21R for her first landing. Her execution of the landing on 21R was uneventful. During climb-out, the tower controller cleared her back to runway 21L. On her second attempted landing, she flared 20 or more feet above the surface of the runway. Realizing her error, she attempted to apply full throttle and lowered the nose to gain airspeed until she could retract the wing flaps, which were fully extended. She attempted to execute a go-around; however, the aircraft stalled. Reportedly, it veered to the left, pitched down and did a complete reversal before coming to rest well east of runway 21L. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1996_IAD96LA125.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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