Cessna 172N accident near Pinehurst, North Carolina, April 24, 2009
On April 24, 2009 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N500TC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Pinehurst, North Carolina (Moore County 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 landing flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 2009 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pinehurst, North Carolina · Moore County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N500TC · no longer on the register · serial 17268188
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that while on a solo flight during a normal approach to landing, the airplane was a "little fast" as he settled onto runway 23. The airplane bounced, and the pilot pitched the nose down to land. The propeller struck the runway and the airplane sustained structural damage to the firewall and tail tie-down. The winds reported at the airport about the time of the accident were from 220 degrees at 7 knots. The pilot did not report any mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane.
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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not specified
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 46 hours in all; 46 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 14 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,031 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 3, 2009
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Moore County Airport Authority
The flight
- Departed from: SOP Pinehurst NC at 2:55 pm
- Destination: SOP Pinehurst NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,503 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from KSOP
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.