Cessna 172F N5238F

Summary

On 12 May 1995 at about 21:25 local time, a Cessna 172F registered N5238F, operated by Andrews Aero Club, was involved in an accident near Tappahanock, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 May 1995 at 21:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Tappahanock, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Tappahanock Muni (W79)

Coordinates

37.9209, -76.8609

Aircraft

Cessna 172F

Registration

N5238F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Andrews Aero Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Portsmouth → Andrews Afb

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO95FA050

1 person died.

The student pilot's misjudgment of distance/speed during the approach to land, and her failure to go around while there was still sufficient runway remaining. Factors related to the accident were: inadequate supervision by the flight instructor, the student's lack of recent flying experience, and the student pilot becaming lost or disoriented during the solo cross-country flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. ON THE FIRST LEG OF THE FLIGHT FROM ANDREWS AFB, MD, TO FARMVILLE, VA, SHE BECAME LOST AND LANDED AT CREWE AIRPORT, ABOUT 20 MILES FROM FARMVILLE. AFTER DETERMINING HER LOCATION, SHE CALLED HER FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI), AND THEY AGREED FOR HER TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT. ON THE LAST LEG OF THE FLIGHT, FROM PORTSMOUTH, VA, BACK TO ANDREWS AFB, THE STUDENT BECAME LOST AGAIN. SHE CONTACTED RICHMOND ATCT AND REQUESTED FLIGHT FOLLOWING BACK TO ANDREWS AFB. SHE WAS ASKED TO SQUAWK A TRANSPONDER CODE; HOWEVER, SHE DID NOT RESPOND, AND RADIO COMMUNICATION WITH THE STUDENT WAS LOST. SHE ELECTED TO LAND AT A NEARBY AIRPORT. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. IT CONTINUED BEYOND THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A FENCE AND FENCE POST. THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL BREAKS IN THE STUDENT'S FLIGHT TRAINING, DUE TO HER WORK SCHEDULE AND AN EXTENDED TDY. ACCORDING TO HER LOG BOOK, HER INSTRUCTOR HAD SIGNED HER OFF FOR A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ON 3/18/95, 25 DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. DURING THAT 25 DAYS, THE STUDENT FLEW 0.9 HOURS SOLO ON 3/18/95 AND RECEIVED 1.1 HOURS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION ON 4/29/95. AFTER THAT, SHE DID NOT FLY AGAIN UNTIL SHE DEPARTED ON THE SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. SHE HAD 62.8 HOURS TOTAL FLIGHT TIME, INCLUDING 21.5 HOURS OF SOLO FLIGHT TIME.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.