No fatalities

CESSNA 172 K accident at Topeka, KS, 17 Apr 2026

Topeka, KS, United States

On April 17, 2026, a CESSNA 172 K operated by Top Aviation Services was involved in an aviation accident near Topeka, KS. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: 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. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

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.

— NTSB Determination

Contributing factors

PilotStudent/instructed pilotAwareness of condition