Cessna R182 accident near Leesburg, Virginia, January 6, 1986
On January 6, 1986 at about 3:25 pm local time, a Cessna R182, registered N6375T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Leesburg, Virginia (Leesburg Municipal airport). It was a business 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
- January 6, 1986 · about 3:25 pm local time
- Place
- Leesburg, Virginia · Leesburg Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R182 · all R182s on the register
- Registration
- N6375T · no longer on the register · serial R18202002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT DPTD DCA WITH 4508,70GAL FUEL,AND 43LBS EQUIPMT ON BOARD WHICH COMPUTED OUT TO BE 26LBS OVER MAX GROSS. IT WAS FLOWN DIRECTLY TO LEESBURG,VA WHERE THE WINDS WERE GENERALLY OUT OF THE WEST AND THERE WAS THE POTENTIAL FOR WINDSHEAR W/I 2000AGL. BOTH PLT AND CO-PLT REMEMBER CROSSING OVR THE RWY #'S BETWEEN 20 AND 30 FT AGL BETWEEN 65 AND 68KTS. APPROX 500-700FT DOWN THE RWY THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WAS OVSVD BY A WITNESS TO ASCEND SLIGHTLY AND THE ACFT LOST FLYING SPEED AND FELL ONTO THE RWY. IT THEN BOUNCED BACK UP INTO THE AIR,STILL IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, AND SANK AGAIN BACK ONTO THE RWY. IT WAS THEN OBSVD TO VEER OFF TO THE LEFT AND NOSE OVER BEFORE COMING TO REST IN FRONT OF THE PARKING APRON JUST SOUTH OF THE FSS. A WITNESS SAW THE WINDSOCK INDICATING A 90 DEGREE X-WIND & STANDING APRX'STRAIGHT OUT.' ANOTHE R WITNESS SAW A'HEAVY EXTENSION OF FLAPS' & A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. BOTH OBSERVATIONS OCCURRED AS THE ACFT FLEW LEVEL FOR APRX 500-700 FT ABOUT 20FT AGL. A ROAR OF PWR WAS HEARD AT TIME OF IMPACT.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,312 hours in all; 643 in this make and model; 86 in the last 90 days; 4,687 as pilot in command; 1,100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,385 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 30, 1985; 535 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J3C5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DCA Washington DC at 3:00 pm
- Destination: W09 Leesburg VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from IAD, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.