Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P92 EAGLET accident near Ashland, Virginia, April 17, 2018
On April 17, 2018 at about 1:30 pm local time, a 2010 Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P92 EAGLET, registered N404TA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Ashland, Virginia (Hanover County Muni airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot’s improper landing flare and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 2018 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ashland, Virginia · Hanover County Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P92 EAGLET NO SERIES, built 2010 · all P92 EAGLETs on the register
- Registration
- N404TA · no longer on the register · serial 1327
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that, while the airplane was in the landing flare for a touch-and-go landing, the student pilot allowed the airspeed to become too low, and he instructed the student to perform a go around. The student applied full power and retracted the flaps, but the airplane continued to descend, so the instructor "got on the controls with him." During the go-around, the airplane touched down on the runway hard, bounced, and the instructor reported hearing a "ping" and observed that the right main landing gear was no longer attached. The instructor continued the go-around and entered the traffic pattern; during the approach, he observed the right main landing gear laying on the right side of the runway. He landed the airplane and it veered to the right off of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 36 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 250° at 9 knots. The airplane landed on runway 34.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing
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
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,412 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days; 2,224 as pilot in command; 1,235 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 11, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 26 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,075.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 9, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 959 hours total
- Operator: Heart Of Virginia Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: OFP Ashland VA at 12:45 pm
- Destination: OFP Ashland VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 5,402 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 12:54 pm from KOFP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.