Cessna 172F accident near Tappahanock, Virginia, May 12, 1995
On May 12, 1995 at about 9:25 pm local time, a Cessna 172F, registered N5238F, was destroyed in an accident near Tappahanock, Virginia (Tappahanock Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's misjudgment of distance/speed during the approach to land, and her failure to go around while there was still sufficient runway remaining. Factors related to the accident were: inadequate supervision by the flight instructor, the student's lack of recent flying experience, and the student pilot becaming lost or disoriented during the solo cross-country flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 1995 · about 9:25 pm local time
- Place
- Tappahanock, Virginia · Tappahanock Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N5238F · no longer on the register · serial 17253311
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. ON THE FIRST LEG OF THE FLIGHT FROM ANDREWS AFB, MD, TO FARMVILLE, VA, SHE BECAME LOST AND LANDED AT CREWE AIRPORT, ABOUT 20 MILES FROM FARMVILLE. AFTER DETERMINING HER LOCATION, SHE CALLED HER FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI), AND THEY AGREED FOR HER TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT. ON THE LAST LEG OF THE FLIGHT, FROM PORTSMOUTH, VA, BACK TO ANDREWS AFB, THE STUDENT BECAME LOST AGAIN. SHE CONTACTED RICHMOND ATCT AND REQUESTED FLIGHT FOLLOWING BACK TO ANDREWS AFB. SHE WAS ASKED TO SQUAWK A TRANSPONDER CODE; HOWEVER, SHE DID NOT RESPOND, AND RADIO COMMUNICATION WITH THE STUDENT WAS LOST. SHE ELECTED TO LAND AT A NEARBY AIRPORT. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. IT CONTINUED BEYOND THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A FENCE AND FENCE POST. THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL BREAKS IN THE STUDENT'S FLIGHT TRAINING, DUE TO HER WORK SCHEDULE AND AN EXTENDED TDY. ACCORDING TO HER LOG BOOK, HER INSTRUCTOR HAD SIGNED HER OFF FOR A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ON 3/18/95, 25 DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. DURING THAT 25 DAYS, THE STUDENT FLEW 0.9 HOURS SOLO ON 3/18/95 AND RECEIVED 1.1 HOURS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION ON 4/29/95. AFTER THAT, SHE DID NOT FLY AGAIN UNTIL SHE DEPARTED ON THE SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. SHE HAD 62.8 HOURS TOTAL FLIGHT TIME, INCLUDING 21.5 HOURS OF SOLO FLIGHT TIME.
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: student
- Flight time: 63 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 21 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,484 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 17, 1995; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Andrews Aero Club
The flight
- Departed from: PVG Portsmouth VA
- Destination: ADW Andrews Afb MD
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 20, 2,785 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
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.