Cessna 172 accident near Bedford, Massachusetts, November 17, 2008
On November 17, 2008 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N2439Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Bedford, Massachusetts (Lawrence G. Hanscom Field). 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 inadequate compensation for winds during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 17, 2008 · about 5:20 pm local time · cases in 2008
- Place
- Bedford, Massachusetts · Lawrence G. Hanscom Field · cases near this 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
- N2439Z · registry record · serial 172S10564
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot of the Cessna 172 departed on his first solo flight after successfully completing an instructional flight with his instructor. The pilot chose to abort his first touch-and-go landing attempt on runway 29 due to winds and returned for another attempt. The airplane touched down on the centerline, but "weather-vaned" off the left side of the runway where it struck runway lights and a taxiway sign. The pilot reported that there were no deficiencies with the performance and handling of the airplane. The winds reported at the accident site 18 minutes after the accident were from 250 degrees at 8 knots. Thirty six minutes after the accident, the winds reported were from 230 degrees at 7 knots gusting to 16 knots.
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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › (general) › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 50 hours in all; 50 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 307 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 11, 2008; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Executive Flyers Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: BED Bedford MA at 5:15 pm
- Destination: BED Bedford MA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 7,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 5:38 pm from BED
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N2439Z on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,686 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Laurence G Hanscom Field · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Massachusetts 987 since 1982 · 90 in the last ten years
- Massachusetts 2,646 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA09CA063.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.