Cessna 172L accident near Leesburg, Virginia, March 16, 1985
On March 16, 1985 at about 1:35 am local time, a Cessna 172L, registered N7586G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Leesburg, Virginia (Leesburg airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 1985 · about 1:35 am local time
- Place
- Leesburg, Virginia · Leesburg
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N7586G · no longer on the register · serial 17259286
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT ENPLANED 3 ADULT PAXS AND TAXIED TO RWY 17 FOR TKOF. RPTD WND WAS 310 AT 8KTS. TKOF ROLL WAS INIATED AND CONTINUED UNTIL NEAR MIDFLD AT WHICH TIME IT BECAME APPARENT TO THE PLT THAT THE ACFT WOULD NOT ROTATE. THE PLT THEN ABTD THE TKOF BUT AS THE ACFT NEARED THE END OF THE RWY HE ADDED PWR IN ORDER TO FLY OVR A DRAINAGE DITCH ABT 100FT PAST THE END OF THE RWY. UPON TOUCHDWN ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE DITCH THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE ACFT SLID APPROX 50FT BFR NOSING OVR.
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: 363 hours in all; 71 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 254 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 6, 1984; 726 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: AIY Atlantic NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 am from IAD, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.