- Date
- April 20, 1983, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Clinton, MD
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7617TCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 6052
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Witnesses observed that the acft took off from rwy 31, began a left turn, then descend into the trees. One witness, a lineboy, stated that he heard the engine running until the acft contacted the trees. The plt received a head injury and was unable to recall details of the occurrence. Immediately after the crash, he reportedly told rescue personnel that he had 'hit a downdraft.' About 6 mi from the accident site, the 0955 EST andrews afb wx observation reported winds from 280 at 20 gusting 26 KTS and noted in the remarks that it had been 330 at 30 KTS. At 1019 EST, the wind was from 330 at 29 KTS. There was no record of the plt receiving a wx briefing while preparing for the flt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7617T
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 47217
- Airframe hours
- 4,012
- Engine
- Continental O-300, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard N. Bailey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 25, 1983 · 28 hours before
- Destination
- DAN · Danville, VA
- Airport
- W 32 · Hyde Field, runway 31, 1,930 × 30 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 590 total · 302 in this make and model · 548 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 20 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ADW, 6 nm away