Cessna 172N accident near Tappahannock, Virginia, May 16, 2000
On May 16, 2000 at about 4:19 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N1655E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tappahannock, Virginia (Tappahannock Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilots's inability to maintain aircraft control after a loss of consciosness.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2000 · about 4:19 pm local time
- Place
- Tappahannock, Virginia · Tappahannock Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N1655E · registry record · serial 17271083
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was on a cross-country solo flight and entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for landing on Runway 20. He said he turned onto the final leg of the traffic pattern and established the airplane on a stabilized approach for the runway. The student pilot said that just prior to landing he 'blacked out' and lost consciousness. The student pilot said that he awoke when the airplane hit the ground. The airplane banked to the right, cleared a fence, but struck a power line and a trailer where it came to rest. A firefighter who witnessed the accident and assisted the student pilot said, 'The first thing he told me was that he blacked out.' The student pilot remained in the hospital for two days undergoing tests. He reported that he was not taking any medication prior to the accident, and that he had no pre-existing medical condition that would explain his loss of consciousness. The pilot reported there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane, and examination of the engine's exhaust system revealed no leaks or mechanical faults.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 60 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 10 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,395 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 10, 2000; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W75 Saluda VA at 3:50 pm
- Destination: W79
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 2,785 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from RIC, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.