Probable cause
The pilot's improper flare during landing.
NTSB analysis
According to the pilot of the Cessna 172N, while completing touch-and-go landings, the airplane bounced on the first landing. She took off again and completed another "loop" in the pattern. The pilot returned to land at the airport a second time, which was "very smooth." She taxied the airplane back to the hangar, shut down the engine, exited the airplane, and saw the propeller was bent a "small amount." The pilot was unaware of the propeller strike; she did not hear or see anything abnormal during the second takeoff and landing. An examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed wrinkling of the lower firewall and fuselage skin, and both propeller blades bent aft, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA09CA058 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Nov 10, 2008
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Gulf Shores, Alabama
- Nearest airport
- Jack Edwards Airport (JKA)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 172
- N-number
- N172PA
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.