Cessna 172 N72664

Summary

On 22 August 2024 at about 20:00 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N72664, operated by Middle River Aviation, was involved in an accident near Louisa, Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 August 2024 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Louisa, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Louisa County/Freeman Fld (LKU)

Coordinates

38.0099, -77.9688

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N72664

Category

Airplane

Year built

1999

Engines

1

Operator

Middle River Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Middle River → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA364

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper landing flare which resulted in a hard landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was making an intermediate stop during a cross-country flight. While maneuvering the airplane through the final approach leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot described encountering “what appeared to be wind shear”. The pilot stated that the airplane “drop[ped] suddenly,” contacted the runway firmly, and bounced. The pilot elected to abort the landing and fly a second approach, during which he did not report encountering any adverse wind or turbulence, and landed without further incident. After landing, the pilot shut down the airplane to check the fuel quantity and take a short break. During the following pre-takeoff run-up procedures, the pilot reported feeling some “resistance” in the elevator control and taxied the airplane back to shut down and report the issue. The airplane’s forward lower fuselage and floorboards were later found to have been substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.