Cessna 172M accident near Weyers Cave, Virginia, March 22, 1998
On March 22, 1998 at about 3:50 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N80512, was substantially damaged in an accident near Weyers Cave, Virginia (Shenandoah Valley Rgnl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate compensation for crosswind conditions and failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in an encounter with a fence on uneven terrain and a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 1998 · about 3:50 pm local time
- Place
- Weyers Cave, Virginia · Shenandoah Valley Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N80512 · no longer on the register · serial 17266630
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, flight conditions were gusty with winds from the northwest. He said he flew a final approach to a runway 23 and applied right crosswind corrections on final approach. After landing, the airplane veered off the left side of the runway, went up a small hill, hit a fence, and flipped over. The Automatic Weather Observation System reported the surface winds were from 310 degrees at 6 knots with no gusts at the approximate time of the accident; however, it had consistently reported gusts throughout the day of 17 to 22 knots, ending about 30 minutes before the accident and commencing again 10 minutes after the accident. The pilot received his Private Pilot certification 18 days prior to the accident.
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: 53 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 26 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,371 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 19, 1998; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Shenandoah Flight Services
The flight
- Departed from: SHD at 3:47 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 6,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:41 pm from SHD
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.