- Date
- November 18, 2000, 13:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- Blacksburg, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N735TFCessna 182Q
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20001118041449A
- Case key
- 50738
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 improper flare while landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While on final approach to land, the pilot believed he was high and increased his rate of descent to the runway. As the pilot flared the airplane, about 20 feet above the runway, it stalled and impacted the runway hard on the nose wheel. The pilot initiated a go-around, and the airplane returned to land uneventfully.
Factual narrative
On November 18, 2000, about 1340 Eastern Standard Time, a Cessna 182Q, N735TF, was substantially damaged while landing at the Virginia Tech Airport, Blacksburg, Virginia. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, he began a descent from a cruise altitude of 6,000 feet, about 10 miles from the airport. The pilot realized that he was close to the airport and made a 360-degree turn to lose additional altitude. While on final approach to Runway 30, a 4,550-foot long, 100 foot wide, asphalt runway, the pilot believed he was still too high and increased his rate of descent. As the airplane was flared, about 20 feet above the runway, the airplane stalled and impacted the runway hard on the nose wheel. The pilot initiated a go-around and radioed to the UNICOM frequency, requesting that someone visually check the airplane for any damage. After a fly-by, no damage was observed and the airplane returned to land uneventfully.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the nose gear assembly, the engine mounts, and the engine firewall.
The winds reported at the airport, at the time of the accident, were from 270 degrees at 6 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N735TF
- Reported as
- Cessna 182Q
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18265665
- Airframe hours
- 775
- Engine
- Continental O-470-U, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- 735tf Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 1999 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- SOP · Southern Pines, NC
- Destination
- BCB
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BCB · Virginia Tech Airport, runway 30, 4,550 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 69
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,134 total · 920 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BCB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.