Cessna 172P accident near Wurtsboro, New York, April 24, 2010
On April 24, 2010 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N51231, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Wurtsboro, New York (Wurtsboro-Sullivan 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper flare and 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
- April 24, 2010 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wurtsboro, New York · Wurtsboro-Sullivan County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N51231 · no longer on the register · serial 17274284
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot, he departed from the airport and was performing supervised solo takeoffs and landings. During the first landing, the airplane impacted the runway with the nose landing gear first and bounced several times; he subsequently initiated a go-around and landed again uneventfully. The student pilot's flight instructor, who witnessed the event, stated that the accident was "a matter of judgment call and inexperience." While putting the airplane away, the student pilot and his flight instructor noticed damage to the nose landing gear and the propeller. An inspection performed by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the firewall. No mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported by the student pilot and his flight instructor.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 37 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,364 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 11, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Waco Transport Business Trust
The flight
- Departed from: N82 Wurtsboro NY at 1:55 pm
- Destination: N82 Wurtsboro NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 3,592 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from MGJ, 10 miles away
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.