NTSB Factual Report

On April 21, 2016, about 1645 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 162, N5217S, sustained substantial damage when it impacted a field about 1/4 mile east of the Indianapolis Executive Airport (TYQ), Zionsville, Indiana. The flight instructor and student pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was registered to Eagle Flyers I LLC and operated by Montgomery Aviation, Inc., under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed when the airplane departed TYQ on a local flight about 1640. No flight plan was filed.

The flight instructor reported that he checked the weather during the flight briefing and the cloud ceilings were about 3,000 ft above ground level (agl) with a southerly wind at 10 kts and rain showers in the area. After the preflight and engine run-up, the pilot checked the weather radar and it indicated a green radar return 3-5 miles to the west with some yellow radar returns about 5 miles west. A small area of red returns was noted further out to the northwest. The radar indicated that the movement of the storm was to the northeast. The Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) broadcast obtained immediately before departure indicated that lightning was in the airport vicinity.

The flight instructor reported he planned to stay in the traffic pattern due to the observed weather to the northwest. The student pilot was flying when they departed on the first takeoff. The flight instructor reported as they were flying on the downwind, the weather, including heavy rain, had moved in much quicker than expected. About midfield on the downwind leg, he noted that the airplane's altitude was 300 ft above the pattern altitude and he told the student pilot to reduce power to descend. The student pilot told him that the throttle was already at idle power, yet the airplane was not descending. The flight instructor stated that he realized that they might be encountering a wind shear situation. As they turned onto the base leg, a Global Express Jet was executing a go-around before reaching the end of runway 18. The flight instructor noted that the primary flight display (PFD) in the Cessna 162 was indicating the airplane was in a 1,500 fpm rate of descent. He took control of the airplane and added full power and set a climb attitude. Realizing that they would not be able to land on runway 18 before the heavy rain and possible wind shear conditions arrived, he elected to turn away from the storm and fly to the southeast at full power with carburetor heat on. He estimated that their altitude was 200 ft agl when they encountered heavy rain which reduced the visibility to "virtually 0." His priority was to keep the wings level with a slight nose high attitude to gain altitude. He heard the student pilot say "Pull up" about the time that the airplane impacted the plowed field. The flight instructor reported that there was heavy rain and hail at the time of the accident.

The examination of the wreckage indicated that the airplane impacted the field on an east heading. The nose gear and propeller separated from the airplane at the initial point of impact. The airplane traveled about 310 ft before coming to rest with the nose of the airplane facing west. The forward fuselage and engine compartment were substantially damaged, and both wings received substantial damage outboard of the struts. The empennage sustained minor damage. The flight instructor reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the airplane during the accident flight.

At 1635, the surface weather observation at TYQ was: wind 150 degrees at 10 kts; visibility 10 miles; thunderstorms in the vicinity; clouds scattered at 3,000 ft, broken at 3,700 ft, broken at 6,500 ft; temperature 20 degrees C; dew point 14 degrees C; altimeter 29.83 inches of mercury. Lightning in the distance, west and north.

At 1655, the surface weather observation at TYQ was: wind 260 degrees at 18 kts gusting to 35 kts; visibility 3/4 mile; heavy thunderstorms and rain; clouds scattered at 500 ft, broken at 3,000 ft, overcast at 6,500 ft; temperature 16 degrees C; dew point 12 degrees C; altimeter 29.86 inches of mercury.

NTSB Probable Cause

The flight instructor’s improper decision to depart on a local instructional flight in rapidly deteriorating weather conditions, including thunderstorms and hail, which resulted in subsequent impact with terrain during a go-around.