Cessna 172N accident near Charlottesville, Virginia, March 8, 2008
On March 8, 2008 at about 2:55 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N733LE, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Charlottesville, Virginia (Charlottesville-Albemarle airport). It was a personal 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 engine starting procedures.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 2008 · about 2:55 pm local time
- Place
- Charlottesville, Virginia · Charlottesville-Albemarle · 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
- N733LE · registry record · serial 17268368
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot attempted to start the engine of the Cessna 172, but was unsuccessful, so he decided to "hand-prop" the engine. As he rotated the propeller from right to left, the engine started, and the airplane began to roll forward. The airplane continued across the airport ramp and impacted two other airplanes before it came to a stop. The accident airplane received substantial damage to its fuselage, and both parked airplanes were also substantially damaged.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,136 hours in all; 899 in this make and model; 214 in the last 90 days; 74 in the last 30 days; 1,071 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,137 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHO Charlottesville VA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.45 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from CHO
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 NYC08CA127.