Cessna 172M accident near White Stone, Virginia, October 4, 2001
On October 4, 2001 at about 11:45 am local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N80562, was substantially damaged in an accident near White Stone, Virginia. It was an aerial observation 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
loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 4, 2001 · about 11:45 am local time
- Place
- White Stone, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N80562 · no longer on the register · serial 17266653
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane departed on a fish spotting flight over the Chesapeake Bay with 20 gallons of fuel onboard. About 45-minutes into the flight, the airplane was 5 miles off shore at an altitude of 2,500 feet when the engine stopped producing power. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and could not make it to the shoreline. He ditched the airplane in 50-foot deep water, and was rescued by the crew of a fishing vessel. Due to environmental concerns, the airplane was not recovered. The pilot did not know the cause of the engine failure.
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: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 40,000 hours in all; 26,000 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 39,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 24, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 3, 2001; 400 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VA98 Reedville VA at 11:00 am
- Destination: Chesapeake Bay
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 am from PHF, 34 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.