Cessna 172N accident near Charlottesville, Virginia, March 8, 2014
On March 8, 2014 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1980 Cessna 172N, registered N5423J, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Charlottesville, Virginia (Charlottesville-Albemarle airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing and substantial damage to the firewall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 2014 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Charlottesville, Virginia · Charlottesville-Albemarle · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N, built 1980 · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5423J · registry record · serial 17273787
- 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, he established a "crab angle to track" the centerline of the runway and maintained about 70 knots on the final leg of the traffic pattern. He pulled the throttle to idle, began to flare the airplane, and the airplane touched down on the main wheels first. It became airborne again, touched down on the runway, and "bounced" a third time. Then, during the landing roll, the pilot was instructed by the air traffic controller to taxi to the ramp area. As the pilot attempted to maneuver the airplane, he realized that the nose landing gear was "rough" to handle. He notified air traffic control that he was having trouble with the landing gear, and the airplane was towed off the runway. During the accident sequence, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The wind reported at the airport around the time of the accident was calm.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 124 hours in all; 72 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 17, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Krist Ayre LLC
The flight
- Departed from: CHO Charlottesville VA at 6:30 pm
- Destination: CHO Charlottesville VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 6,801 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from CHO
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.