Yakovlev 52 accident near Berryville, Virginia, October 15, 2000
On October 15, 2000 at about 12:00 pm local time, a Yakovlev 52, registered N21CY, was substantially damaged in an accident near Berryville, Virginia (High View Airport). 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 flare, which resulted in a hard landing and separation of the nose landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 2000 · about 12:00 pm local time
- Place
- Berryville, Virginia · High View Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Yakovlev 52
- Registration
- N21CY · registry record · serial 822010
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he landed the airplane on the sod strip, and that all three landing gear touched down at the same time. He said the airplane bounced, touched down, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The nose landing gear was separated from the airplane. Examination of the fracture surfaces on the nose landing gear components revealed that all failures were due to overstress. The pilot said there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane prior to the accident.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 554 hours in all; 152 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 465 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 16, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,167 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 2000; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,838 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Vendeneyev M-14P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OKV Winchester VA at 11:45 am
- Destination: 61VA Berryville VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 3,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 20,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 am from MRB, 12 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.