Cessna 172 accident near Chesapeake, Virginia, July 1, 2020
On July 1, 2020 at about 1:00 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna 172, registered N9391H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Chesapeake, Virginia (Chesapeake Rgnl airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's improper landing flare and failure to recover from the ensuing bounced landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 2020 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chesapeake, Virginia · Chesapeake Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 M, built 1975 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N9391H · no longer on the register · serial 17266134
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that he performed practice maneuvers over a field for about 20 minutes before returning to the airport to practice landings. After becoming established on final approach, the airplane touched down "on the numbers," then proceeded to bounce with ever increasing frequency and severity. The airplane departed the runway surface, the nosewheel landing gear collapsed, and the fuselage was substantially damaged. The student pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
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 › Student/instructed pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 32.5 hours in all; 32.5 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,626.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 17, 2020; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 5,596 hours total
- Operator: Epix Services LLC
The flight
- Departed from: CPK Chesapeake VA at 12:30 pm
- Destination: CPK Chesapeake VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 1:15 pm from CPK, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on September 10, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot and Instructor Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation- Student Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation_faa | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array_accident Site and Damage | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N9391H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.