Cessna 172 accident near Newton, Mississippi, August 30, 2008
On August 30, 2008 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N6478E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Newton, Mississippi (James H Easom 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2008 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Newton, Mississippi · James H Easom 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
- N6478E · no longer on the register · serial 46578
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot of the Cessna 172, the purpose of the cross-country flight was to move the airplane away from the potential path of a hurricane. While on the final leg of the approach, the airplane was configured with "30 degrees of flaps, the descent rate and airspeed were normal." While in the flare, the right main landing gear and right wingtip impacted the runway, damaging the wing spar. Subsequently, the nose wheel collapsed damaging the firewall, and the airplane skidded approximately 100 feet down runway 31. The winds reported about the time of the accident, approximately 22 miles to the east, were 030 degrees at 6 knots, with no wind gusts. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear attach section › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 161 hours in all; 161 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 112 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,315.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors 0-300 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2R7 Franklinton LA at 2:30 pm
- Destination: M23 Newton MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from MEI, 22 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.