Cessna 172L accident near Tangier, Virginia, June 26, 2005
On June 26, 2005 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172L, registered N19681, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tangier, Virginia (Tangier Island Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2005 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Tangier, Virginia · Tangier Island Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N19681 · registry record · serial 17260664
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing on runway 2, the airplane struck a "bump" in the runway, and then bounced to approximately 10 feet. The pilot then added power and flared for landing. During the second touchdown, the airplane bounced again, and then encountered a wind gust, which blew the airplane to the left side of the runway. The airplane's left landing gear came in contact with the grass off the left side of the runway, the pilot "lost control," and the airplane impacted a mound of dirt.
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: 100 hours in all; 14 in this make and model
- Last flight review: February 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,887 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2005; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GED Georgetown DE at 8:35 pm
- Destination: TGI Tangier Island VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 2,950 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from NHK, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 NYC05CA107.