- Date
- July 8, 1985, 08:45 local (12:45 UTC)
- Place
- Thurmont, MD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- CGFIECessna 172-RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 11182
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.
In flight encounter with weather
Weather condition - haze/smokeFactor
Weather condition - low ceilingFactor
Weather condition - rainFactor
Forced landing
Precautionary landing - performed
Hard landing
Terrain condition - groundFactor
Flare - misjudgedCause
Landing gear,nose gear - overload
Recovery from bounced landing - inadequateCause
Analysis
Upon encountering a low ceiling, precipitation, and haze at approximately 1500 feet MSL, the plt descended in order to locate a suitable landing area. The plt observed a grass airstrip below him, and executed a hard landing. The aircraft bounced once, and during the second touchdown the nose gear collapsed and was separated from the aircraft. The airplane skidded down the airstrip, coming to rest on its bottom cowling and main gear.
Aircraft
- Registration
- CGFIE
- Reported as
- Cessna 172-RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172-RG-0232
- Airframe hours
- 1,297
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-1A6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Voyagur Airways, Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · February 15, 1985 · 38 hours before
- Departed
- W32 · Clinton, MD
- Destination
- ART · Watertown, NY
- Flight plan
- VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 115 total · 14 in this make and model · 55 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BWI, 42 nm away