# Accident 20180228012119A: Cessna CE-172S, Ocean City, MD, February 28, 2018

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 28, 2018, 18:38 local time
- Place: Ocean City, MD
- Airport: Ocean City Municipal
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.2881° N, 75.0919° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.2881&lon=-75.0919&mi=10
- Aircraft: N615JA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N615JA-2018-06-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172S (registry code 2072439, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (registry code 41597, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA CE-172S
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 81 total, 81 in this make and model, 1 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA18LA094](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18LA094) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180228012119A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA18LA094](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18LA094), Mar 1, 2018: Cessna 172 (N615JA), Ocean City, MD, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The 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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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