Cessna 172 accident near Bruington, Virginia, June 20, 2018
On June 20, 2018 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1961 Cessna 172, registered N8090X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Bruington, Virginia. 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 decision to abort the takeoff with insufficient runway remaining to safely stop the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 2018 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bruington, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 B, built 1961 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N8090X · no longer on the register · serial 17248590
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, after taking off from an unimproved gravel surface in a field, he did not feel comfortable with the airplane's performance, so he chose to abort the takeoff. The airplane touched down on soft dirt, and the nose landing gear then dug into the dirt and separated from the airplane. The airplane then nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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
- Miscellaneous/other during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Decision related to condition
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › (general) › Capability exceeded
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,235 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 331 in the last 90 days; 89 in the last 30 days; 2,780 as pilot in command; 932 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 14, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,872 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 23, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 SER (piston); 2,872 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Bruington VA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: XSA Tappahannock VA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from KXSA, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 27, 2018. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Pictures | PDF, 2 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.