Cessna 172N accident near Charlottesville, Virginia, March 10, 1985
On March 10, 1985 at about 4:27 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N1564E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Charlottesville, Virginia (Charlottesville Albemarle airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 1985 · about 4:27 pm local time
- Place
- Charlottesville, Virginia · Charlottesville Albemarle
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N1564E · registry record · serial 17271048
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING AN APCH TO LAND, MODERATE TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED & THAT THE WINDS WERE VARIABLE. SINCE THE ACFT WAS LOW & FAST, HE ADJUSTED THE POWER & EXTENDED 10 THEN 20 DEG OF FLAPS. CROSSING THE THRESHOLD, HE RETARDED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE & SUBSEQUENTLY ENTERED AN EXCESSIVE RATE OF DESCENT. THE ACFT BOUNCED AFTER TOUCHING DOWN & BEGAN TO PORPOISE. AFTER THE 3RD BOUNCE, WITH THE THROTTLE STILL CLOSED, THE PLT ELECTED TO GO AROUND. HE APPLIED POWER & ABORTED THE LANDING. ONCE IN THE PATTERN, HE REALIZED THERE WAS DAMAGE & MADE A FLY-BY, BUT TOWER PSNL COULD NOT VERIFY THE DAMAGE. ON THE 2ND LANDING, THE ACFT BALLOONED & BOUNCED AGAIN. AFTER SEVERAL BOUNCES, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED & THE ACFT WAS STOPPED ON THE RWY.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 77 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 47 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,300 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dulles Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: W10 Manassas VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 6,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:27 pm from CHO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO85LA027.