Cessna 172N N1655E

Summary

On 16 May 2000 at about 16:19 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N1655E was involved in an accident near Tappahannock, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 May 2000 at 16:19

Classification

Accident

Location

Tappahannock, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Tappahannock Airport (W79)

Coordinates

37.9190, -76.8591

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N1655E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Saluda → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD00LA043

1 person had minor injuries.

the pilots's inability to maintain aircraft control after a loss of consciosness.

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 cross-country solo flight and entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for landing on Runway 20. He said he turned onto the final leg of the traffic pattern and established the airplane on a stabilized approach for the runway. The student pilot said that just prior to landing he 'blacked out' and lost consciousness. The student pilot said that he awoke when the airplane hit the ground. The airplane banked to the right, cleared a fence, but struck a power line and a trailer where it came to rest. A firefighter who witnessed the accident and assisted the student pilot said, 'The first thing he told me was that he blacked out.' The student pilot remained in the hospital for two days undergoing tests. He reported that he was not taking any medication prior to the accident, and that he had no pre-existing medical condition that would explain his loss of consciousness. The pilot reported there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane, and examination of the engine's exhaust system revealed no leaks or mechanical faults.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.