# NTSB ERA26LA073: Cessna 172P, N54576, Browns Corner, VA, December 20, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: December 20, 2025, 14:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place: Browns Corner, VA · Aircraft location : From deadend of ashland farm road, continue on dirt road 0.3 miles.
- Coordinates: 37.503354, -77.107748 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.5034&lon=-77.1077&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 202196
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA26LA073
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202196/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA073

## Preliminary report

On December 20, 2025, at 1415 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172P airplane, N54576, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Quinton, Virginia. The private pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot was operating out of New Kent County Airport (W96) Quinton, Virginia and reported that the preflight inspection, engine run-up, and taxi were normal. He performed several touch-and-go landings that were uneventful. Shortly after takeoff, as the airplane was climbing through 500 ft above ground level (agl), the engine rpm began to fluctuate. The pilot further described that, the engine did not “sputter,” but the rpm was “abnormal.” The pilot applied carburetor heat and attempted to troubleshoot the irregularity without success. As the airplane reached about 650 ft agl, it stopped climbing and began to lose altitude and airspeed. The pilot decreased the airplane’s pitch, established best glide speed, and identified an open field for a forced landing. While maneuvering on final approach to the field, the pilot realized that the field was very hilly and bordered with trees. The pilot attempted to make slight turns to increase the chances of a successful landing, but in the process, the airplane lost too much airspeed. Unable to make additional adjustments due to the low airspeed and altitude, the pilot fully extended the flaps and intentionally “planted” the landing gear hard into the mud so that the airplane would stop before impacting the trees. After touchdown, the landing gear created deep gouges in the field for about 100 ft before the airplane rolled into the tree line and came to rest. The hard landing and impact with the trees resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage; the right outboard wing was fractured downward, both wing struts were damaged, and the engine compartment was canted. The propeller and spinner were largely intact and did not exhibit any chordwise scraping or leading edge gouges. The airplane was recovered and retained for further examination.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172P, 14 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2072436), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N54576](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N54576), registered now, S/N 17275003 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172P
- Registry model: [Cessna 172P](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p) (registry code 2072436) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 17275003
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: Rick Aviation Inc
- Registered owner: Rick Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Departed: W96, Quinton, VA
- Airport: W96, New Kent County, runway 11

## Weather

- Wind: 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 48 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observed at: RIC, 10 nm away
- METAR: METAR KRIC 201854Z 15008KT 10SM FEW250 09/M04 A3018 RMK AO2 SLP224 T00891044

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20251220019149A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20251220019149A), Dec 20, 2025: Cessna 172P, Quinton, VA, Destroyed. On 20 December, 2025, pilot in command (PIC) departed W96 New Kent County Airport, performed one traffic pattern with no anomolies. On climb out of second…

## Other investigations on N54576 (2)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC01LA163](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC01LA163), Jul 2, 2001: Cessna 172P (N54576), Stevensville, MD, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper flare and his improper recovery from a bounced landing.
- [NTSB NYC82DA074](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC82DA074), Apr 19, 1982: Cessna 172 (N54576), Morristown, NJ, substantial damage

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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