Vans Aircraft INC RV-12 accident near Chesterfield, Virginia, March 28, 2025
On March 28, 2025 at about 6:20 pm local time, a 2017 Vans Aircraft INC RV-12, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N4754, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Chesterfield, Virginia (Richmond Exec/Chesterfield Cou). 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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and the collapse of the nose landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 28, 2025 · about 6:20 pm local time
- Place
- Chesterfield, Virginia · Richmond Exec/Chesterfield Cou · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Vans Aircraft INC RV-12, built 2017, amateur-built
- Registration
- N4754 · registry record · serial 120531
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings in the airport traffic pattern and reported that he was slightly high on final approach and added power to reach the runway threshold. As he began the flare, a gust of wind struck the airplane and it yawed to the right. He applied left rudder to correct, but the descent rate remained high, and the airplane touched down hard on the right main landing gear and bounced. After regaining control, he completed the landing. During the landing rollout, he described feeling a vibration and hearing a scraping noise, which led him to believe the nose landing gear had collapsed. The airplane subsequently came to reset and a postimpact fire ignited inside the engine cowling. Airport personnel extinguished the fire shortly thereafter. The airplane’s fuselage was substantially damaged during the accident sequence. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane’s flight controls 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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 284 hours in all; 164 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 16, 2023
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 236 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 17, 2023; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 13 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from FCI, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KFCI 281956Z AUTO 19013G17KT 10SM CLR 25/06 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP219 T02500056
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA25LA191.