Cessna 172 accident near Rock Hill, South Carolina, February 9, 2025
On February 9, 2025 at about 7:45 pm local time, a 1969 Cessna 172, registered N84048, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Rock Hill, South Carolina (Rock Hill/York County/Bryant F 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 failure to maintain control of the airplane during an aborded crosswind landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 9, 2025 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Rock Hill, South Carolina · Rock Hill/York County/Bryant F · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 K, built 1969 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N84048 · registry record · serial 17258314
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While conducting a solo flight in the airport traffic pattern the student pilot approached the runway, and during the landing, a crosswind pushed the airplane to the left. The pilot applied engine power to abort the landing, but the airplane rolled to the left and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane came to rest in the grass next to the runway and the fuselage, engine mount, and both wings were substantially damaged during the accident sequence. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with 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
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 166.7 hours in all; 166.7 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 8.6 in the last 30 days; 38.2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,017.0 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 29, 2025; 32.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 4,017 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from UZA
Weather report (METAR): KUZA 091954Z AUTO 27004KT 10SM FEW070 24/12 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP154 T02390122
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 5 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Airplane postaccident
Photograph 2 – Right wing accident damage
Photograph 3 – Right horizontal stabilizer and elevator accident damage
Photograph 4 – Left wing accident damage
Photograph 5 – Forward fuselage accident damageThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on July 17, 2025. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 6 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Inspectors Statement | PDF, 2 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.