OpenAirDocs.org

20180228012119A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Cessna CE-172S · Ocean City, MD · February 28, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
February 28, 2018 · 18:38 local
Place
Ocean City, MD
Airport
Ocean City Municipal
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N615JA
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA18LA094
Reported as
Cessna CE-172S
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
81 total81 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days
N615JARegistration cancelled Jun 14, 2018 · Cessna 172SS/N 172S10554 · Built 2007Airframe modelCessna 172SEngine modelLycoming IO-360-L2AReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On Wednesday February 28, 2018, at approximately 1756 EST, Mr. Marcson ngwa, a non-instrument rated private pilot departed martin state airport, baltimore, MD (mtn) in a Cessna CE-172, on a VFR flight to Ocean City Municipal Airport, Ocean City, MD (oxb). Also on board the aircraft was a non-pilot rated female passenger, Mrs. Banica richard Robinson. According to the flight school that rented him the aircraft the intention of the flight was to conduct some take-off's and landings at oxb and then return to mtn that same night.

The following morning around 0800 when the flight school reopened, the aircraft could not be located. It was determined that the aircraft had not returned. The flight school began a telephone search calling oxb airport and then ATC. ATC advised that they last had radio contact with the aircraft at 1838 EST the previous evening. At that time, the school proceeded to call some of the surrounding airports to try to locate the aircraft. They also notified the coast guard. Additionally, the flight school sent an aircraft, with the chief instructor onboard, to oxb to look for the aircraft. When they arrived at oxb they flew offshore and found an oil slick on the surface of the Ocean about 2 miles off shore from the airport. During this time, the civil air patrol (cap) had also been notified and they were going to begin a search. About 1030 EST, the chief instructor sent a text back to the school notifying them of the location of the oil slick. This information was relayed to the coast guard and by around 1100 EST, the coast guard had a boat anchored on the oil slick and the Maryland state police were notified and were participating in the rescue/recovery efforts.

At the time of the flight, weather reports in the area were reporting VFR conditions. Ceilings were around 12,000FT, visibility around 10SM. Official sunset occured at 1753 EST. Mr. Ngwa had received ATC flight following and was shown by radar to have flown on a direct route to oxb at an altitude of 3500FT.

As the FAA filed it

ON WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2018, AT APPROXIMATELY 1756 EST, MR. MARCSON NGWA, A NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED MARTIN STATE AIRPORT, BALTIMORE, MD (MTN) IN A CESSNA CE-172, ON A VFR FLIGHT TO OCEAN CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, OCEAN CITY, MD (OXB). ALSO ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT WAS A NON-PILOT RATED FEMALE PASSENGER, MRS. BANICA RICHARD ROBINSON. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT SCHOOL THAT RENTED HIM THE AIRCRAFT THE INTENTION OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO CONDUCT SOME TAKE-OFF'S AND LANDINGS AT OXB AND THEN RETURN TO MTN THAT SAME NIGHT.

THE FOLLOWING MORNING AROUND 0800 WHEN THE FLIGHT SCHOOL REOPENED, THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT BE LOCATED. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT RETURNED. THE FLIGHT SCHOOL BEGAN A TELEPHONE SEARCH CALLING OXB AIRPORT AND THEN ATC. ATC ADVISED THAT THEY LAST HAD RADIO CONTACT WITH THE AIRCRAFT AT 1838 EST THE PREVIOUS EVENING. AT THAT TIME, THE SCHOOL PROCEEDED TO CALL SOME OF THE SURROUNDING AIRPORTS TO TRY TO LOCATE THE AIRCRAFT. THEY ALSO NOTIFIED THE COAST GUARD. ADDITIONALLY, THE FLIGHT SCHOOL SENT AN AIRCRAFT, WITH THE CHIEF INSTRUCTOR ONBOARD, TO OXB TO LOOK FOR THE AIRCRAFT. WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT OXB THEY FLEW OFFSHORE AND FOUND AN OIL SLICK ON THE SURFACE OF THE OCEAN ABOUT 2 MILES OFF SHORE FROM THE AIRPORT. DURING THIS TIME, THE CIVIL AIR PATROL (CAP) HAD ALSO BEEN NOTIFIED AND THEY WERE GOING TO BEGIN A SEARCH. ABOUT 1030 EST, THE CHIEF INSTRUCTOR SENT A TEXT BACK TO THE SCHOOL NOTIFYING THEM OF THE LOCATION OF THE OIL SLICK. THIS INFORMATION WAS RELAYED TO THE COAST GUARD AND BY AROUND 1100 EST, THE COAST GUARD HAD A BOAT ANCHORED ON THE OIL SLICK AND THE MARYLAND STATE POLICE WERE NOTIFIED AND WERE PARTICIPATING IN THE RESCUE/RECOVERY EFFORTS.

AT THE TIME OF THE FLIGHT, WEATHER REPORTS IN THE AREA WERE REPORTING VFR CONDITIONS. CEILINGS WERE AROUND 12,000FT, VISIBILITY AROUND 10SM. OFFICIAL SUNSET OCCURED AT 1753 EST. MR. NGWA HAD RECEIVED ATC FLIGHT FOLLOWING AND WAS SHOWN BY RADAR TO HAVE FLOWN ON A DIRECT ROUTE TO OXB AT AN ALTITUDE OF 3500FT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA18LA094Accident · 2 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportOcean City, MDThe pilot's flight in dark night visual meteorological conditions, which resulted in an impact with water for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.Mar 1, 2018 · Destroyed