Cessna 337F accident near Quinton, Virginia, April 20, 2001
On April 20, 2001 at about 5:55 pm local time, a Cessna 337F, registered N20AK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Quinton, Virginia (New Kent County 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 recovery from a bounced landing. Factors in the accident were the crosswind, and the pilot's lack of experience in make and model.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 2001 · about 5:55 pm local time
- Place
- Quinton, Virginia · New Kent County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337F · all 337Fs on the register
- Registration
- N20AK · registry record · serial 33701369
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was on approach to runway 28, a 3,600 foot-long, 75 foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot stated he encountered a "strong gust or shear," which pushed the airplane up and to the right and had almost completed the correction from the right edge of the runway to the center line, when "the bottom dropped out." The airplane bounced, began to porpoise and the right wing and front propeller contacted the runway. The airplane then veered off the right side of the runway and entered a ditch. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions; nor did the pilot report any. The pilot obtained his multi-engine private pilot rating about 1 month prior to the accident. The pilot reported about 1,100 hours of total flight experience, which included 25 hours of multi-engine flight experience. Prior to the accident flight, the pilot accumulated 15 hours of flight experience in the accident airplane, all with a flight instructor. Winds reported at an airport about 11 miles west of the accident site, were from 200 degrees at 14 knots.
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
- Flight time: 1,099 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 1,001 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 19, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,940 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 12, 2001; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,630 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W96 Quinton VA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: W96 Quinton VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 3,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from RIC, 9 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.