Cessna 172S accident near Monroeville, Alabama, August 9, 2008
On August 9, 2008 at about 5:01 am local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N1600U, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Monroeville, Alabama (Monroe County 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 inadequate compensation for winds during landing. Contributing to the accident was a wind gust.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2008 · about 5:01 am local time
- Place
- Monroeville, Alabama · Monroe County · 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
- N1600U · registry record · serial 172S9905
- 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 on a solo cross-country flight. As the airplane passed over the runway threshold at her planned destination, a strong gust of wind pushed the airplane down to the ground. The airplane landed hard bending the nose gear aft and damaging the firewall. The pilot did not report experiencing any flight control or mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident.
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
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 57 hours in all; 57 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,563.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 2007; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BFM Mobile AL at 4:30 pm
- Destination: MVC Monroeville AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 6,028 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from GZH, 16 miles away
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.
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.