Cessna 172 accident near Big Timber, Montana, May 10, 2008
On May 10, 2008 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N8103E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Big Timber, Montana (Big Timber 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 student pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during landing which resulted in a stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 2008 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Big Timber, Montana · Big Timber 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
- N8103E · no longer on the register · serial 36795
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot had finished his flight lesson and was returning solo to his departure airport. He observed the windsock and noted that the wind was directly down the runway at approximately 15 to 20 knots. The pilot said that as he entered the flare, he was slow and the left wing stalled, then dropped, and, the left wing and main landing gear touched the runway. The student pilot applied power and the airplane ended up approximately 90 degrees to the runway and 8 feet above ground level, off of the runway surface. The left wing then collided with the windsock pole and sustained substantial damage. No mechanical anomalies were noted.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › Runway/landing area condition › Not specified
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wind sock › Not specified
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 81 hours in all; 81 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MT48 Livingston MT
- Destination: 6S0 Big Timber MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,282 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from LVM, 20 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.