Cessna 172S accident near Olive Branch, Mississippi, July 25, 2003
On July 25, 2003 at about 11:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N970SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Olive Branch, Mississippi. 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 landing flare/touchdown and inadequate recovery from a bounced landing which resulted in a hard landing and damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2003 · about 11:10 pm local time
- Place
- Olive Branch, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N970SP · registry record · serial 172S8172
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot stated that as he approached the runway to perform the landing flare/touchdown he reduced engine power and applied back pressure to the control yoke until the main landing gear touched the runway. He said as he continued to apply back pressure after having touched down, the airplane became airborne again, so he relaxed back pressure to flare again, but upon touching the ground the airplane bounced back into the air. He said there were additional attempts to perform the landing flare, but each time successive bounces occurred. During the last attempt, the student said he added a small amount of power in an attempt to recover and the airplane first impacted on its main landing gear, then it "abruptly" impacted on the nose gear as well. The airplane then leaned forward, and remained on the ground, while at a speed of about 20 knots, incurring damage to the propeller, nose gear and firewall. According to the student, prior to the accident there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 24 hours in all; 24 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Vt IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OLV Olive Branch MS at 11:00 pm
- Destination: OLV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N970SP 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.