Cessna 172N accident near Centre, Alabama, March 3, 2008
On March 3, 2008 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N203GT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Centre, Alabama (Centre 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper landing flare, resulting in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 2008 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Centre, Alabama · Centre Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N203GT · registry record · serial 172 72403
- 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 this was his first solo cross-country flight to the Centre Municipal Airport, Centre, Alabama. He said that he landed the airplane hard, and it bounced twice before settling on the runway. After shutting the engine down, he exited the airplane and noticed that the nose tire was flat. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that the firewall and engine mounts were buckled.
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
- 551092 during descent - normal
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
Dual student
- Ratings: none, none, none, none
- Flight time: 53 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 10 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,576 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, December 1, 2007; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: FTY Atlanta GA at 4:15 pm
- Destination: C22 Centre AL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 27, 3,401 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°C, dew point 43°C
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 4:40 pm from KGAD, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA08CA057.