- Date
- December 22, 2020, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Culpeper, VA · On runway 4
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N505LPCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20201222017339A
- Case key
- 102473
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s decision to land the airplane in crosswind conditions that exceeded the airplane’s maximum demonstrated crosswind velocity.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to practice crosswind landings, and she described experiencing gusty wind conditions on her arrival at the destination airport. She believed that the wind conditions that prevailed at the time would have resulted in a direct left crosswind of 20 knots (the wind conditions recorded by the airport’s automated weather observation system indicated that a crosswind of 16 knots, gusting to 29 knots prevailed about the time of the accident). While on final approach, and with 20° of flaps extended, she maintained a normal approach speed plus an additional 7 knots. During the landing flare, a gust of wind struck the airplane. The airplane then struck the ground, ballooned back into the air, and landed hard. After landing, she taxied to the ramp and secured it. The lower portion of the airplane’s fuselage was substantially damaged during the accident. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Pilot’s Operating Handbook and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Approved Airplane Flight Manual specified the maximum demonstrated crosswind velocity for the airplane was 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N505LP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8546
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 2,476.6
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wifa (Washington International Flight Academy) LLC
- Registered owner
- Wifa (Washington International Flight Academy) LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 10, 2020 · 20.9 hours before
- Departed
- GAI · Gaithersburg, MD
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- CJR · Culpepper, runway 4, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 27, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 202 total · 98 in this make and model · 186 as pilot in command · 141 in the last 90 days · 57 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 16 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- KCJR
- METAR
- KCJR 221655Z AUTO 29016G29KT 10SM OVC055 11/M03 A3005 RMK AO2 T01071035
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 6, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N505LP · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.