Cessna 172S accident near Charlottesville, Virginia, July 19, 2005
On July 19, 2005 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N3537B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Charlottesville, Virginia (Charlottesville-Albemarle airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's improper flare which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 2005 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Charlottesville, Virginia · Charlottesville-Albemarle · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N3537B · registry record · serial 172S8827
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Following an uneventful flight, the student pilot completed the approach, and began the landing flare over the runway. According to the pilot, " I started the flare too early, [and] I was too high." He further explained that the airplane stalled, and landed hard on the runway.
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: 46 hours in all; 40 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dulles Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: HEF Manassas VA
- Destination: CHO Charlottesville VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 11:07 am from CHO
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.