Cessna 172N accident near Stanardsville, Virginia, August 19, 2002
On August 19, 2002, a Cessna 172N, registered N738JR, was destroyed in an accident near Stanardsville, Virginia (Charlottesville Albemarle airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient altitude/clearance while descending over mountainous terrain. A factor was the night lighting conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2002
- Place
- Stanardsville, Virginia · Charlottesville Albemarle · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N738JR · registry record · serial 17270018
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on a local, night pleasure flight. A review of radar data revealed that the airplane headed north-northwest from the airport, towards mountainous terrain. The airplane crossed over a ridge, then maneuvered along its northwestern edge before turning southeast. The airplane proceeded on the southeasterly heading for several minutes, then crossed back over the mountain ridge in a shallow descent before the data ended. The airplane came to rest in heavily wooded terrain approximately 25 feet below a 3,375-foot mountain peak. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies. Examination of the pilot's logbook revealed that he had recently completed 2.8 hours of flight instruction, of which, 1.5 hours were at night, after not having flown for almost two years. In addition, the pilot had not logged any solo flight time in almost 13 years prior to the accident. Weather, reported about the time of the accident at an airport 12.7 nautical miles to the south, about 2,700 feet below the accident site elevation, included winds from 240 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 6 statute miles, mist, and clear skies. The moon was 86% illuminated, 26 degrees above the horizon.
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 sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 318 hours in all; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 9, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,010.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2002; 26.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHO Charlottesville VA at 11:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 240° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 IAD02FA088.