20260518005069I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172R · Ocean City, MD · May 18, 2026

Date: May 18, 2026 · 23:35 local
Place: Ocean City, MD
Airport: Ocean City Municipal
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N398ES
Reported as: Cessna 172R
Reported engine: Lycoming I0360 SER A&C
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 118 total118 in this make and model22 in the last 90 days

N398ESRegistered now · Cessna 172RS/N 17280156 · Built 1997 Airframe modelCessna 172R Engine modelLycoming I0360 SER A&CReciprocating

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.

PIC came in for landing on rwy 32 with croswind 220 @ 7KTS. Aircraft was pushed to the right due to wind condition, PIC adjusted heading to compensate for the crosswind. At the midpoint of the runway while on flare, the PIC felt the nose of the airplane move down and to the left without any control input. After the airplane pointed left and nose down, the propeller touched the runway. The PIC immediately input right brake and rudder to center the aircraft with the runway. After the aircraft touched down, the PIC taxied back to the ramp for parking.

As the FAA filed it

PIC CAME IN FOR LANDING ON RWY 32 WITH CROSWIND 220 @ 7KTS. AIRCRAFT WAS PUSHED TO THE RIGHT DUE TO WIND CONDITION, PIC ADJUSTED HEADING TO COMPENSATE FOR THE CROSSWIND. AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE RUNWAY WHILE ON FLARE, THE PIC FELT THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE MOVE DOWN AND TO THE LEFT WITHOUT ANY CONTROL INPUT. AFTER THE AIRPLANE POINTED LEFT AND NOSE DOWN, THE PROPELLER TOUCHED THE RUNWAY. THE PIC IMMEDIATELY INPUT RIGHT BRAKE AND RUDDER TO CENTER THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE RUNWAY. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN, THE PIC TAXIED BACK TO THE RAMP FOR PARKING.