Cessna 172P accident near Bremerton, Washington, June 4, 2008
On June 4, 2008 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N52807, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Bremerton, Washington (Bremerton National 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 inadequate 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
- June 4, 2008 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bremerton, Washington · Bremerton National Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N52807 · no longer on the register · serial 17274611
- 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 practicing touch-and-go landings on his first solo flight. After one successful touch-and-go landing, he made a second approach. He maintained 65 knots, lowered 30 degrees of flaps, and followed the glide path. After the airplane touched down on the main gear, it ballooned and the student pilot applied slight forward pressure on the yoke. The nose gear and propeller struck the ground, and the airplane bounced back into the air. He lost control of the airplane as the nose gear and propeller struck the runway several more times. He braked heavily, and the airplane skidded to the side of the runway before stopping.
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)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 25 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 0 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,388 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, May 1, 2008
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wings Aloft, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: KPWT Bremerton WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,100 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 12:35 pm from PWT
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 N52807 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.