# Incident 20250913014339I: Cessna 172S, Manassas, VA, September 13, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 13, 2025, 16:18 local time
- Place: Manassas, VA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: VZ7S
- Location: 38.7468° N, 77.4826° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Manassas, VA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7468&lon=-77.4826&mi=10
- Aircraft: N543ND, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N543ND) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172S (registry code 2072439, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (registry code 41597, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172S
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 912 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250913014339I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

STUDENT PILOT WAS CONDUCTING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS IN TRAFFIC PATTERN UNDER SUPERVISION OF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. CROSSWIND WAS 5 KTS OR LESS DURING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS. DURING LANDING STUDENT ELECTED TO MAKE A GO-AROUND WITH FULL FLAPS DURING THE LANDING FLARE, BUT DID NOT CONFIGURE FLAPS APPROPRIATE TO THE GO-AROUND. INSTRUCTOR ASSISTED BY RETRACTING FLAPS TO PROPER GO-AROUND CONFIGURATION. STUDENT SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLIED INSUFFFICIENT RIGHT RUDDER TO CORRECT FOR LEFT-TURNING TENDENCY DUE TO HIGH POWER SETTING AND PITCH ATTITUDE SO AIRPLANE BEGAN TURNING TO LEFT FROM INITIAL POSITION ON CENTER LINE. INSTRUCTOR OVERRODE STUDENT'S RUDDER INPUT TO APPLY RIGHT RUDDER TO CORRECT FOR DRIFT AND TURN TO LEFT AND ASSUMED FULL CONTROL. STUDENT THEN ABRUPTLY REDUCED THROTTLE WHICH THE INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED, HOWEVER, DUE TO LOW ALTITUDE, WHILE RECOVERING FROM LEFT TURN, WITH GO-AROUND PITCH ATTITUDE, AIRCRAFT STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT. INSTRUCTOR COMPLETED GO-AROUND AND TRAFFIC PATTERN FOLLOWED BY NORMAL LANDING. AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED BY MAINTENANCE; DAMAGE DETERMINED TO BE MINIMAL.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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