Cessna 172M accident near Shelbyville, Tennessee, April 15, 2024
On April 15, 2024 at about 6:07 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N73605, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Shelbyville, Tennessee (Bomar Fld/Shelbyville Muni 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 recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control and subsequent runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2024 · about 6:07 pm local time
- Place
- Shelbyville, Tennessee · Bomar Fld/Shelbyville Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N73605 · registry record · serial 17267574
- 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 on a solo cross-country flight and was landing at the destination airport. While on final approach, he was high, so he reduced power. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced several times (airport security camera video showed the airplane bouncing on the runway with increasing severity). The pilot attempted to recover but lost directional control of the airplane. The airplane nosed over after traveling off the right side of the runway resulting in substantial damage to the airplane’s wings and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 64 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Jkg LLC
The flight
- Departed from: MBT Murfreesboro TN at 5:30 pm
- Runway 18/3, 5,504 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 1:15 pm from SYI
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSYI 151815Z AUTO 21011KT 10SM FEW042 26/17 A3001 RMK A01=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on July 18, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memo for Record_pilot's Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Logbook Excerpt | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Airport Security Video | MOV file | Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.