Cessna 172R accident near Richmond, Virginia, January 27, 2002
On January 27, 2002 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N9525V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Richmond, Virginia (Chesterfield County). 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 pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing. A factor in the accident was the pilot improper flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 27, 2002 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Richmond, Virginia · Chesterfield County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N9525V · registry record · serial 17280315
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student was returning from her first cross-country solo flight. After entering the traffic pattern and turning final, the student slowed the airplane to approximately 65 to 70 knots, and selected 30 degrees of flaps. While concentrating on her descent angle, airspeed, and centerline alignment, the student did not flare the airplane properly. The airplane touched down hard, bounced back into the air, and then touched down three more times. The student does not remember pushing the yoke forward during any of the bounces, but felt the airplane may have touched down nose wheel first. The propeller, the nose wheel assembly, and the engine firewall were all damaged during the landing.
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: 111 hours in all; 111 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,596.2 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 26, 2001; 44.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHO Charlottesville VA at 3:55 pm
- Destination: FCI Richmond VA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 15, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from RIC, 11 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.
Other NTSB records under N9525V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.