Cessna 172 N708LU

Summary

On 10 November 2025 at about 14:10 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N708LU, operated by Liberty University, was involved in an accident near Lynchburg, Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

10 November 2025 at 14:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Lynchburg, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Lynchburg Rgnl/Preston Glenn F (LYH)

Coordinates

37.2857, -79.2058

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N708LU

Category

Airplane

Year built

2014

Engines

1

Operator

Liberty University

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA26LA038

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that during a training flight, while returning to the airport at 2,500 ft mean sea level, he observed a large bird directly in front of the airplane. The pilot receiving instruction, reported that he too had the bird in sight and initiated a left turn to avoid a head-on collision. The bird subsequently struck the right wing, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. Following the bird strike, the flight instructor assumed control of the airplane and landed uneventfully.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.