Cessna R172K accident near Valdosta, Georgia, August 27, 2001
On August 27, 2001 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Cessna R172K, registered N758BW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Valdosta, Georgia (Valdosta Regional Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's improper flare of the airplane, which resulted in a hard landing. Factors were the dual student's failure to relinquish control of the airplane and the dual student's interference on the flight controls.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 2001 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Valdosta, Georgia · Valdosta Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172K · all R172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N758BW · no longer on the register · serial R1722974
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated flight instructor and dual student were conducting a simulated emergency landing immediately after takeoff. According to the flight instructor, the flight instructor briefed the dual student on the procedures and stated that the flight instructor would maintain priority on the controls with the dual student to follow. At 150 feet AGL, the instructor reduced the throttle to idle and pitched the airplane nose-low to maintain airspeed. The student pilot reported actively pulling back on the yoke at 50 feet AGL. As the flight instructor attempted the flare, the airplane struck the runway and sustained substantial damage to the propeller, nose gear, left main landing gear, firewall, floor, and bottom of the fuselage back to the baggage door.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,274 hours in all; 105 in this make and model; 85 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 753 as pilot in command; 40 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 14 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,166 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 13, 2001; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-KB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KVLD Valdosta GA at 3:44 pm
- Destination: KVLD Valdosta GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 5,598 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KVLD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.