Cessna 172R accident near Tishomingo, Oklahoma, June 21, 2008
On June 21, 2008 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N5178Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Tishomingo, Oklahoma (Tishomingo Airpark 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 pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, resulting in an inadvertent stall during the landing flare. Contributing factors in this accident was the terrain-induced turbulence, and the instructor's inadequate supervision of the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 2008 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tishomingo, Oklahoma · Tishomingo Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N5178Y · registry record · serial 17281099
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot receiving instruction was making a short field landing approach. The approach was "a little high" to clear trees that surrounded the airport. The pilot deployed full flaps, reduced power to 1,500 rpm, and slowed the airplane to 60 knots. Before crossing the tree line near the approach end of the runway, the pilot reduced power to idle. As the airplane approached ground effect regime, they encountered "a small amount of turbulence associated with the wind flowing over the trees." Before the flight instructor could react, they encountered "another small pocket of turbulence" and the airplane stalled. The pilot applied full power, then the flight instructor took control. He leveled the airplane and transitioned to the flare. The airplane touched down on the main landing gear "with force," followed by the nose gear, and bounced. A post-flight inspection after the landing revealed no apparent damage, but later examination by the school's maintenance staff revealed the firewall was wrinkled.
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
- Turbulence encounter during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Terrain induced turbulence › Effect on operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 368 hours in all; 228 in this make and model; 76 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 325 as pilot in command; 86 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 77 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 38 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,449 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 1, 2008; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-369-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DUA Durant OK at 5:00 pm
- Destination: DUA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 3,100 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from DUA, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.