Cessna 172 accident near Madison, Mississippi, March 2, 2005
On March 2, 2005 at about 6:55 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N212CF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Madison, Mississippi (Bruce Campbell Field 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 pilot's improper landing flare which resulted in substantial damage during the subsequent hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 2005 · about 6:55 pm local time
- Place
- Madison, Mississippi · Bruce Campbell Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N212CF · registry record · serial 17280418
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot experienced a hard landing, and while she tried to taxi off the runway lost control of the aircraft and went on to the adjacent grass. The student pilot was on her third solo landing. According to the student pilot, during the landing flare the aircraft "ballooned" followed by the hard landing. The investigation revealed the airplane touched down twice on the runway during the landing. The examination of the aircraft revealed the firewall, and lower fuselage was damaged during the impact sequence.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 68 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,758.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 28, 2005; 47.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,457 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 10360L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KMBO Madison MS at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Madison MS
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17, 4,444 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from GLH
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 N212CF 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.