Cessna 152 accident near Culpeper, Virginia, August 19, 2000
On August 19, 2000 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N67495, was substantially damaged in an accident near Culpeper, Virginia (Culpeper Regional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The partial loss of power due to an inadequate annual inspection, which resulted in the throttle linkage becoming disconnected from the throttle.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2000 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Culpeper, Virginia · Culpeper Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N67495 · registry record · serial 15281866
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot departed the airport for the last leg of the solo cross-country flight. About 50 feet above the runway, the engine RPMs suddenly and smoothly dropped to an estimated 1700 RPMs, 'as if the throttle was being pulled back.' The student pilot advanced and retarded the throttle several times; however, the engine maintained a constant speed of 1700 RPMs. He pulled the mixture to the cut-off position, and performed an emergency landing in a field. Examination of the airplane revealed the throttle linkage had become disconnected from the throttle. The linkage was reconnected and the engine was started. While the engine was running, the linkage was disconnected again, and the engine RPMs decreased to 1500 RPMs. The last annual inspection was performed on April 21, 2000, and the airplane had accumulated 79 flight hours since then.
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
What happened, in order
- LOSS OF ENGINE POWER(PARTIAL) - MECH FAILURE/MALF during takeoff - initial climb
- FORCED LANDING during descent - emergency
- ON GROUND/WATER ENCOUNTER WITH TERRAIN/WATER during emergency landing
Pilot
- Ratings: none, none, none, none
- Flight time: 46 hours in all; 46 in this make and model; 19 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 3
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,231 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, April 21, 2000; 79 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: CJR Culpeper VA at 9:10 pm
- Destination: EZF Fredricksburg VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 4,002 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°C, dew point 63°C
- Altimeter: 30 inHg
- Observation at 9:23 pm from CJR
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 NYC00LA234.