Cessna 172 accident near Waynesboro, Virginia, January 30, 2022
On January 30, 2022 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1974 Cessna 172, registered N1766V, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Waynesboro, Virginia (Eagle'S Nest 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 loss of directional control while landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 30, 2022 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Waynesboro, Virginia · Eagle'S Nest · 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 1974 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N1766V · registry record · serial 17263744
- 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 during the landing rollout of his first solo landing, the airplane veered left, impacted a snowbank, and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported that the airplane had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Runway excursion during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 23.6 hours in all; 23.6 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Eagles Nest Flight Services LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 2,004 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from SHD, 11 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSHD 302315Z AUTO 19004KT 10SM OVC090 M03/M12 A2998 RMK AO2 T10261119
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 May 25, 2022. 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, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | CFI Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Pilot Logbook | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.