Cessna 172 N84794
17 April 2026 · Topeka, Kansas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 17 April 2026 at about 00:00 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N84794, operated by Odyssey Aircraft LLC, was involved in an accident near Topeka, Kansas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Topeka, Kansas, United States
- Nearest airport
- Philip Billard Municipal Airpo (TOP)
- Coordinates
- 39.0688, -95.6224
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172
- Registration
- N84794
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1969
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Odyssey Aircraft LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN26LA167
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The student pilot’s failure to maintain situational awareness while taxiing which resulted in a collision with fence poles on either side of a gate which was not intended for airplanes.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The operator reported that the student pilot was cleared by air traffic control to taxi behind another airplane. While taxiing, the other airplane witnessed the student pilot turn the airplane off the taxiway, taxi through a row of hangars, and onto the main vehicle access road that led into the airport. The student pilot then attempted to taxi the airplane through an access gate (for cars) that was too narrow for the airplane, and both wings struck the gate posts which resulted in substantial damage to both wings. An airport rescue and fire fighter asked the pilot to recount the moments before impact with the gate. The student pilot stated, “to be honest, I forgot I had wings.” The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr 2026 | Cessna 172S | Marathon, Florida, United States | Phoenix East Aviation LLC | No injuries | - |
| 9 Jun 2026 | Cessna 172 | Cleburne, Texas, United States | DGJ TEX LLC DBA | No injuries | - |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Cessna 172S | The Rock, Georgia, United States | US Aviation Academy | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jun 2026 | Cessna 172S | Morgan Hill, California, United States | Golf November Aero LLC | No injuries | - |
| 8 Feb 2026 | Cessna 172M | Mangalur, India | M/s Redbird Flying Training Pvt. Ltd. | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2026 | Cessna 172 | 6th of October City, Egypt | - | Fatal | 1 |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Feb 2026 | Grumman AA5 | Admire, Kansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Cirrus SR22T | Chanute, Kansas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 May 2026 | Lockwood AIR CAM | Hutchinson, Kansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jul 2026 | Cessna 150G | Ellsworth, Kansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 2026 | Air Tractor AT802 | Whitiing, Kansas, United States | Heinen Brothers | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Mar 2026 | Cessna 180K | Beloit, Kansas, United States | Pontiac Flying LLC | No injuries | - |