Liberty Aerospace Incorporated XL-2 accident near Lynchburg, Virginia, December 11, 2012
On December 11, 2012 at about 6:18 pm local time, a Liberty Aerospace Incorporated XL-2, registered N208AU, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Lynchburg, Virginia (Lynchburg 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 flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 11, 2012 · about 6:18 pm local time
- Place
- Lynchburg, Virginia · Lynchburg Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Liberty Aerospace Incorporated XL-2
- Registration
- N208AU · no longer on the register · serial 0114
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was returning from a solo cross-country flight, and, just before touchdown, she flared the airplane too high above the runway, and the airplane touched down hard. The student pilot applied full power to attempt a go-around; however, the airplane bounced, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane skidded down the runway eventually coming to rest. Postaccident examination revealed a large hole in the cockpit floor, located just aft of the left seat rudder pedals. The student pilot reported no preexisting mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 83 hours in all; 83 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,417 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 14, 2012; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,653 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-240-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Averett University Of Danville Va
The flight
- Departed from: DAN Danville VA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: LYH Lynchburg VA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 04, 7,100 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from LYH
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.
Other NTSB records under N208AU the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.