Probable cause
The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.
NTSB analysis
While performing a soft-field takeoff, the student pilot lost directional control of the airplane during the takeoff roll. He attempted to correct with the application of rudder and brake inputs but was unsuccessful, and the airplane came to rest upright in a ditch adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The student pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN23LA307 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jul 12, 2023
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Greenwood, Indiana
- Nearest airport
- Indy South Greenwood Airport (HFY)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 172N
- N-number
- N701DE
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1976
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.