Piper PA-22-108 accident near Manassas, Virginia, September 12, 1999
On September 12, 1999 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-108, registered N5125Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Manassas, Virginia (Whitman airport). It was an instructional 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 recover from a sideslip maneuver, and flare the airplane before touchdown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 1999 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Manassas, Virginia · Whitman
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-108 · all PA-22-108s on the register
- Registration
- N5125Z · registry record · serial 22-8766
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot stated that he was conducting touch and go landings on Runway 4. After the fourth touch and go, the pilot returned to land on Runway 22. Realizing that he was too high on final approach, the pilot slipped the airplane to increase his descent. A recovery from the maneuver was not preformed, and the airplane touched down hard on the runway. The nose wheel then collapsed, and the airplane nosed over.
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: student
- Flight time: 20 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,680 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1999; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,675 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0V5
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,550 ft by 45 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from HEF, 7 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.
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.