Cessna 172 accident near Corning, New York, December 21, 2008
On December 21, 2008 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6621D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Corning, New York (Corning-Painted Post 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident were the gusty wind conditions and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 2008 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Corning, New York · Corning-Painted Post Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 N · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N6621D · registry record · serial 17272908
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a training flight to practice crosswind takeoffs and landings, with gusty wind conditions on runway 32, a gust of wind lifted the left wing of the airplane during the landing flare. The student pilot inadvertently applied right aileron and the right wing contacted the runway surface, resulting in damage to the right wing and aileron. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) then assumed control and the airplane drifted right of the runway and gained approximately 10 feet of altitude. The throttle control was bent about 45 degrees by the student during the abnormal runway contact, which prevented the CFI from performing an aborted landing maneuver. The damage to the right aileron also prevented the CFI from returning to the runway surface. The airplane landed in the snow next to the runway and neither pilot was injured. The accident airport did not have weather reporting capability; however, airports with weather observations in the local area at the time of the accident recorded winds generally from 250 to 290 degrees at 15 knots with a peak gust of 25 knots. The CFI reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident.
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
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Not specified
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,618 hours in all; 1,600 in this make and model; 81 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 5,400 as pilot in command; 4,191 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 18, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 23 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,251 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 5, 2008; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Costa Flying Services
The flight
- Departed from: ELM Elmira NY at 7:45 pm
- Destination: 7N1 Corning NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 3,270 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 16 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.54 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from ELM, 10 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA09CA103.