Cessna 172R accident near Richmond, Virginia, March 9, 2008
On March 9, 2008 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N24619, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Richmond, Virginia (Richmond International 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 student pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 9, 2008 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Richmond, Virginia · Richmond International Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N24619 · registry record · serial 17280831
- 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 the airplane bounced at touchdown, then landed hard on all three landing gear. During taxi, the airplane would not respond to nose wheel steering, and a postflight inspection revealed damage to the propeller, nose landing gear, and firewall. The student pilot reported 21 hours of flight experience, and stated that there were no deficiencies with the performance and handling of the airplane.
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 › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 21 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SFQ Suffolk VA at 1:20 pm
- Destination: RIC Richmond VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 9,003 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from RIC
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.