Cessna 182P accident near Blacksburg, Virginia, April 16, 2003
On April 16, 2003 at about 4:50 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N21520, was substantially damaged in an accident near Blacksburg, Virginia (Virginia Tech 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 flare and his improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 2003 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Blacksburg, Virginia · Virginia Tech Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N21520 · registry record · serial 18261686
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had attempted three landings, with the first two attempts resulting in a go-around. During the third landing attempt, the airplane touched down hard and bounced back into the air. The airplane touched down hard again, with the propeller striking the runway, before coming to rest upright on the runway. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any mechanical deficiencies with the airplanes flight controls.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 245 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 142 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 18, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,113 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 9, 2002; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VJI Abingdon VA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: BCB Blacksburg VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 4,550 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 12:54 pm from ROA, 20 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 NYC03LA086.