Cessna 172S accident near Culpeper, Virginia, August 3, 2012
On August 3, 2012 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N6276Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Culpeper, Virginia (Culpeper Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during an attempted takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 2012 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Culpeper, Virginia · Culpeper Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N6276Z · no longer on the register · serial 172S10745
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, the airplane touched down about halfway down the runway. The pilot’s intent was to perform a touch-and-go practice landing and takeoff. He applied takeoff power, retracted the flaps, and the airplane veered to the left. The pilot reported that he was unable to maintain directional control with aileron and rudder control inputs and elected to abort the takeoff. After he reduced power to idle, the airplane departed the left side of the runway and continued approximately 100 yards before impacting a row of trees. A witness report corroborates the pilot’s landing description. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. In a phone interview the accident the pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that precluded normal operation of the airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- Abnormal runway contact during landing defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 80 hours in all; 76 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 41 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 2, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,747 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 19, 2012; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aviation Adventures, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: HWY Warrenton VA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: CJR Culpepper VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 4:20 pm from CJR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.