Cessna 172 accident near Tyndall Afb, Florida, April 15, 2008
On April 15, 2008 at about 9:40 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N64218, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Tyndall Afb, Florida (Tyndall Afb airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudged flare and subsequent hard landing, and her inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2008 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Tyndall Afb, Florida · Tyndall Afb · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N64218 · no longer on the register · serial 17275536
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was landing at the conclusion of a cross-country solo flight. During the landing flare/touchdown, the airplane landed hard and bounced. The airspeed dissipated, and the airplane touched down again and bounced several times. The nose wheel landing gear strut and wheel separated from the fuselage, and the propeller struck the runway.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 38 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KTLH Tallahassee FL
- Destination: KPAM Tyndall Afb FL
- Runway 31
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.