No fatalities

CESSNA 172 P accident at Lafayette, IN, 28 Jan 2026

Lafayette, IN, United States

On January 28, 2026, a CESSNA 172 P operated by PURDUE AVIATION LLC was involved in an aviation accident near Lafayette, IN. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student during a stall recovery that developed into unusual attitude and exceedance of the airplane’s never exceed airspeed which resulted in structural damage to the airplane. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 14 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

Probable cause

The flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student during a stall recovery that developed into unusual attitude and exceedance of the airplane’s never exceed airspeed which resulted in structural damage to the airplane.

— NTSB Determination

Contributing factors

Instructor/check pilotStudent/instructed pilotCapability exceeded

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 28 Jan 2026 CESSNA 172 P accident near Lafayette, IN?

The flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student during a stall recovery that developed into unusual attitude and exceedance of the airplane’s never exceed airspeed which resulted in structural damage to the airplane.

Were there any fatalities in the 28 Jan 2026 CESSNA 172 P accident?

No fatalities were recorded in this accident.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 28 Jan 2026 involved a CESSNA 172 P, operated by PURDUE AVIATION LLC, at Lafayette, IN.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student during a stall recovery that developed into unusual attitude and exceedance of the airplane’s never exceed airspeed which resulted in structural damage to the airplane.