Cessna 172S accident near Culpeper, Virginia, December 22, 2020
On December 22, 2020 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 2000 Cessna 172S, registered N505LP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Culpeper, Virginia (Culpepper airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to land the airplane in crosswind conditions that exceeded the airplane’s maximum demonstrated crosswind velocity.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 22, 2020 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Culpeper, Virginia · Culpepper · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S NO SERIES, built 2000 · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N505LP · registry record · serial 172S8546
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to practice crosswind landings, and she described experiencing gusty wind conditions on her arrival at the destination airport. She believed that the wind conditions that prevailed at the time would have resulted in a direct left crosswind of 20 knots (the wind conditions recorded by the airport’s automated weather observation system indicated that a crosswind of 16 knots, gusting to 29 knots prevailed about the time of the accident). While on final approach, and with 20° of flaps extended, she maintained a normal approach speed plus an additional 7 knots. During the landing flare, a gust of wind struck the airplane. The airplane then struck the ground, ballooned back into the air, and landed hard. After landing, she taxied to the ramp and secured it. The lower portion of the airplane’s fuselage was substantially damaged during the accident. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Pilot’s Operating Handbook and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Approved Airplane Flight Manual specified the maximum demonstrated crosswind velocity for the airplane was 15 knots.
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 defining event
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Maximum crosswind component › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter
- Flight time: 202 hours in all; 98 in this make and model; 141 in the last 90 days; 57 in the last 30 days; 186 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 27, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,476.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 10, 2020; 20.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 2,498 hours total
- Operator: Wifa (Washington International Flight Academy) LLC
The flight
- Departed from: GAI Gaithersburg MD at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 16 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from KCJR
Weather report (METAR): KCJR 221655Z AUTO 29016G29KT 10SM OVC055 11/M03 A3005 RMK AO2 T01071035
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on July 6, 2021. 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 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpt from Pilot's Operating Handbook and FAA Approved Airplane Flight Manual | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of NTSB Conversations | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | 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 N505LP 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.