# Incident 20251017016089I: Piper PA-28-181, Leesburg, VA, October 17, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 17, 2025, 16:55 local time
- Place: Leesburg, VA
- Airport: Leesburg Executive
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.0780° N, 77.5575° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at LEESBURG EXEC (JYO), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0780&lon=-77.5575&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8373Y, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8373Y) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-181
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 87 total, 83 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20251017016089I

## Narrative

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

PILOT WAS CONDUCTING PATTERN OPERATIONS AS A SOLO STUDENT, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SHORT-FIELD LANDINGS. THE WEATHER WAS APPROXIMATELY 5-7KTS WIND, PRIMARILY A DIRECT HEADWIND. THE FIRST THREE TRAFFIC PATTERNS WERE UNREMARKABLE, WITH THE AIMING POINT BEING THE IMAGINED “THRESHOLD” FOR SHORT-FIELD OPERATIONS. THE APPROACH ON THE 4TH PATTERN WAS NORMAL IN NATURE. OVER THE ACTUAL THRESHOLD, PILOT MAINTAINED SOME POWER THROUGH THE ROUNDOUT TO AVOID TOUCHDOWN PRIOR TO THE AIMING POINT. AS THE POINT APPROACHED, PILOT REDUCED POWER TO IDLE AND APPLIED BACK PRESSURE. TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED SHORTLY THEREAFTER WITH A FIRM, ALTHOUGH NOT ABNORMAL SINK RATE, AS JUDGED BY THE PILOT. AFTER THE FIRM TOUCHDOWN, PILOT EXPERIENCED PITCHING OSCILLATIONS.

PILOT BELIEVED THE AIRPLANE TO BE ON THE RUNWAY, AND OSCILLATING WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE STRUTS AND TIRES, HE CONFIRMED THAT THE POWER WAS AT IDLE. IN PILOT'S TRAINING, HE HAS EXPERIENCED MORE SEVERE BOUNCES UPON LANDING (I.E., WITH A GREATER VERTICAL COMPONENT) AND HAD BEEN TAUGHT TO CONDUCT A GO AROUND IN THESE SITUATIONS. WHILE HE BELIEVES IT IS POSSIBLE, HE DID NOT HAVE THE SENSATION THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS PORPOISING, AS HE HAD PREVIOUSLY ASSOCIATED THIS WITH REPEATEDLY BECOMING AIRBORNE. PILOT DOES NOT RECALL HEARING MULTIPLE TIRE SQUELCHES, AS HE THOUGHT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRESENT WITH BOUNCES.

AFTER SEVERAL OSCILLATIONS, THE PLANE EVENTUALLY SLOWED AND THE OSCILLATIONS CALMED, AND PILOT EXITED THE RUNWAY. PILOT DID NOT HEAR A LOUD NOISE THAT HE WOULD HAVE BELIEVED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH A PROPELLER STRIKE. HE DID NOT OBSERVE THAT THERE HAD BEEN A PROPELLER STRIKE UNTIL AFTER SHUTDOWN WHILE SECURING THE AIRCRAFT.

AIRPLANE DETERMINED BY AW ASI TO BE PROPERLY REGISTERED AND INSPECTED PRIOR TO INCIDENT AND WAS APPROPRIATELY AIRWORTHY FOR THE FLIGHT CONDUCTED.

## Other reports on N8373Y (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20230127002679I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230127002679I), Jan 27, 2023: Piper PA-28-181 (N8373Y), Leesburg, VA, Minor damage. During start for a 14CFR part 61 training flight the engine caught fire, damage the cowling, and engine compartment, cause is unknown because no one reported…
- [Incident 19880614028779I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880614028779I), Jun 14, 1988: Piper PA28181 (N8373Y), Baltimore, MD, Minor damage. Pilot lost directional control on rollout. Veered off end of runway striking end light. Brakes checked out normally

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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