Cessna 172 accident near Asheville, North Carolina, November 1, 2008
On November 1, 2008 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N2055R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Asheville, North Carolina (Asheville Regional 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 student pilot’s improper 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
- November 1, 2008 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Asheville, North Carolina · Asheville Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N2055R · registry record · serial 172S9581
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While conducting touch and go landings during the student pilot’s first solo flight, the Cessna 172S hit the runway "hard" and then bounced. The pilot added power, but the airplane "stalled" and the nose of the airplane pitched down, impacting the runway on the nose landing gear. The fuselage and firewall were substantially damaged during landing.
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
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 18 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,321 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 11, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wnc Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: KAVL Asheville NC at 7:40 pm
- Destination: KAVL Asheville NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 8,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from KAVL
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.