# Accident 20200312005379A: Cessna 172S, Berlin, MD, March 12, 2020

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 12, 2020, 11:10 local time
- Place: Berlin, MD
- Airport: Ocean City Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.3106° N, 75.1239° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.3106&lon=-75.1239&mi=10
- Aircraft: N52232, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N52232) (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 172S
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-360-L2A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 890 total, 20 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA20CA141](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA141) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200312005379A

## Narrative

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

A COMMERCIAL HELICOPTER RATED PILOT TRANSITIONING TO FIXED WING WAS ON A SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT.  THE PILOT WAS ON APPROACH TO KOXB (OCEAN CITY AIRPORT).  WHILE ON AN EXTENDED LEFT BASE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 14, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE SAW  A LARGE FLOCK OF BIRDS CONGREGATING TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY.  ONCE THE PILOT BEGAN HIS FINAL APPROACH, THE BIRDS BEGAN TO MOVE IN TO A POSITION ABOVE HIS APPROACH PATH.  THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT AN APPROACH AT 70 KNOTS IAS.  HE THEN PITCHED THE AIRCRAFT DOWN TO AVOID THE BIRDS, WHICH ACCELERATED THE AIRCRAFT TO AN ESTIMATED 85 KNOTS, AT APPROXIMATELY 15 FT. AGL.  THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE FAST APPROACH SPEED AND CONDITIONS AND ATTEMPTED TO EXECUTE A GO AROUND.  HE APPLIED POWER AND MOVED THE FLAPS FROM FULL DOWN (30 DEGREES) TO FULL UP.  THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SINK AND CONTACT THE RUNWAY.  ONCE THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED PAVEMENT IT VEERED TO THE LEFT AND OFF THE RUNWAY.  ONCE IN THE TURF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR SANK IN TO THE WET GROUND CAUSE THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP ON TO ITS LEFT SIDE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

## 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 ERA20CA141](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA141), Mar 12, 2020: Cessna 172 (N52232), Ocean City, MD, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during an attempted go-around to avoid birds, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent nose-over.

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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