Probable cause
The airplane’s encounter with an unseen hole or obstacle on the grass runway.
NTSB analysis
During the training flight, the certified flight instructor (CFI) initiated a simulated engine power failure. The student pilot responded by establishing a glide speed of 65 knots and maneuvering to a nearby grass runway. During the final approach segment, with twenty degrees of flaps, the student pilot entered a slip and landed uneventfully. However, during the landing roll, the airplane hit a “hole or obstacle” and then bounced. The CFI applied power, aborted the landing, and returned to the departure airport. The aft fuselage sustained structural damage and skin deformation. The CFI reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR12CA008 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Oct 12, 2011
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Cornelius, Oregon
- Nearest airport
- Skyport Airport (4S4)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 172P
- N-number
- N52013
- Category
- Airplane
- 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.