Cessna 172R accident near Martinsburg, West Virginia, November 21, 2004
On November 21, 2004 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N5294W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Martinsburg, West Virginia (Eastern Wv Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 21, 2004 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Martinsburg, West Virginia · Eastern Wv Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N5294W · registry record · serial 17281186
- 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 a 7,000-foot-long, 150-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot reported that the airplane was configured with full flaps, a power setting of 1,200 rpm, and was at an airspeed "just below 70 knots," when he realized that the propeller was wind-milling. He advanced the throttle; however, the engine did not respond. The airplane was about 15 feet above, and 300 to 400 feet down the runway, when the pilot began a landing flare. The airplane touched down on the main landing gear, bounced, and then touched down on the main and nose landing gear. The nose gear collapsed, and the airplane slid off the right side of the runway, onto a grass area. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions. In addition, a subsequent teardown, and test run of the engine did not reveal any discrepancies.
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: 105 hours in all; 92 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 24 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 601 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 1, 2004; 7 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: JYO Leesburg VA at 7:20 pm
- Destination: MRB Martinsburg WV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from MRB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.