Cessna 172M accident near Fredericksburg, Virginia, July 22, 2013
On July 22, 2013 at about 10:30 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna 172M, registered N61954, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Fredericksburg, Virginia (Shannon Airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's intentional descent into the ground to commit suicide.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 2013 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fredericksburg, Virginia · Shannon Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M, built 1975 · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N61954 · no longer on the register · serial 17264911
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About 30 minutes before the flight, the pilot reserved the airplane to complete "pattern work." The pilot's fiancée arrived at the airport as the pilot was walking toward the airplane, and, following a brief altercation, the pilot boarded the airplane and took off. About that time, sheriff's deputies arrived at the airport because they had been notified by the pilot's fiancée that she believed the pilot intended to commit suicide. The deputies, fiancée, and flight instructor subsequently observed the airplane maneuver erratically before climbing to an altitude of about 3,000 feet. The airplane then pitched down into a near-vertical descent. The witnesses reported hearing the engine increase to "full" power. The airplane impacted the ground at high speed and then burst into flames. Although the wreckage was significantly fragmented and fire-damaged, no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation were observed. The pilot had been diagnosed with "severe recurrent major depression" about 7 weeks before the accident and was subsequently prescribed an antidepressant and advised to seek counseling. The medical examiner determined that the manner of death was "suicide." Postmortem toxicological testing of the pilot's remains revealed the presence of ethanol; however, the investigation was unable to determine if preflight ethanol ingestion played a role in pilot's decision-making.
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
- Security/criminal event during maneuvering defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Miscellaneous › Intentional act › Suicide › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 165 hours in all
- Last flight review: November 18, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 4, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Jls Aviation, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: EZF Fredericksburg VA at 10:25 pm
- Destination: EZF Fredericksburg VA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 pm from EZF
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.