Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Charlottesville Albemarle Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Stanardsville, Virginia 22973
Sunday, August 18, 2002 20:50 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot departed on a local, night pleasure flight. A review of radar data revealed that the airplane headed north-northwest from the airport, towards mountainous terrain. The airplane crossed over a ridge, then maneuvered along its northwestern edge before turning southeast. The airplane proceeded on the southeasterly heading for several minutes, then crossed back over the mountain ridge in a shallow descent before the data ended. The airplane came to rest in heavily wooded terrain approximately 25 feet below a 3,375-foot mountain peak. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies. Examination of the pilot's logbook revealed that he had recently completed 2.8 hours of flight instruction, of which, 1.5 hours were at night, after not having flown for almost two years. In addition, the pilot had not logged any solo flight time in almost 13 years prior to the accident. Weather, reported about the time of the accident at an airport 12.7 nautical miles to the south, about 2,700 feet below the accident site elevation, included winds from 240 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 6 statute miles, mist, and clear skies. The moon was 86% illuminated, 26 degrees above the horizon.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient altitude/clearance while descending over mountainous terrain. A factor was the night lighting conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/18/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2050 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | STANARDSVILLE |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 22973 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 382108N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0783008W |
| Event Location Airport | Charlottesville Albemarle |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CHO |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 13 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 170 |
| Airport Elevation | 641 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2053 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 170 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CHO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 639 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.94 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1735 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13789 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA EROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 19 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2045 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 26 2003 8:17AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WASHINTON DC FAA/FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N738JR |
| NTSB Number | IAD02FA088 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17270018 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2450 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 1 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 26.9 |
| Airframe Hours | 1010.3 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | U R Soaring LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | CHARLOTTESVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 22901 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | ALBEMARLE FLIGHT SCHOOL |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | CHARLOTTESVILLE |
| Operator State | VA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 22911 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CHO |
| Departure City | CHARLOTTESVILLE |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1935 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 20 2003 6:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COXP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |