Cessna 172R accident near Norfolk, Virginia, March 9, 2007
On March 9, 2007 at about 5:55 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N441QF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Norfolk, Virginia (Norfolk International 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 failure to maintain directional control while landing, which resulted in a collision with a runway sign. A factor was the crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 9, 2007 · about 5:55 pm local time
- Place
- Norfolk, Virginia · Norfolk International Airport · 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
- N441QF · registry record · serial 17280278
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a Cessna 172R was landing on runway 5, a 9,001-foot-long, 150-foot-wide, asphalt runway. On short final approach, the pilot performed a sideslip to correct for the crosswind. Upon landing, the airplane felt unbalanced and began to veer to the right. The pilot tried to correct with rudder, but the airplane departed the right side of the runway and struck a runway sign. The recorded winds about the time of the accident were from 120 degrees at 8 knots. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 239 hours in all; 213 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 183 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Academy Of Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: FRG Farmingdale NY
- Destination: ORF Norfolk VA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 9,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.45 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from ORF
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.