Cessna 172 N13520

Summary

On 6 June 2020 at about 19:23 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N13520, operated by Cardinal Wings Aviation Llc, was involved in an accident near New Washington, Indiana, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 June 2020 at 19:23

Classification

Accident

Location

New Washington, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Bowman Field (LOU)

Coordinates

38.5386, -85.4825

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N13520

Category

Airplane

Year built

1973

Engines

1

Operator

Cardinal Wings Aviation Llc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Louisville → Louisville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20LA214

1 person died.

A high velocity descent and impact with terrain for undetermined reasons.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot was to conduct a solo practice flight in preparation for his private pilot check ride. The flight was to include maneuvers in a specific practice area. The pilot’s flight instructor stated that he tracked the airplane on his phone and the flight track disappeared about 20 minutes into the flight. The recorded automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast data revealed that the airplane departed and climbed to about 3,000 ft above ground level. While in the practice area, the airplane completed 3 consecutive left steep turn maneuvers towards the northeast and remained about 3,000 ft agl. Less than 1 minute later the airplane descended and proceeded southeast; this flight track continued into a steep dive in excess of 10,000 ft per minute and a calculated groundspeed of about 170 kts. The airplane wreckage was located in a field; the debris path was oriented southeast and extended about 300 yards. All major components of the airplane were located at the accident site and there was no post impact fire. Postaccident examinations revealed findings indicative of the engine operating at the time of the accident, which were also consistent with the high velocity descent. There were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies found with the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation. No medical findings were identified in the pilot’s autopsy or toxicology. The accident is consistent with a wings-level, high velocity descent and impact with terrain for reasons that could not be determined with the available information.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.