- Date
- July 8, 2014, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Edgewater, MD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7368FCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Windshear or thunderstorm
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 2, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140708014599A
- Case key
- 89631
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadvertent encounter with an unanticipated convective gust front or low-level wind shear while landing, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent hard landing.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor reported that she and the student pilot checked the weather conditions prior to departing on an instructional flight, and noted thunderstorms were forecast for the area about 1 hour after their flight was scheduled to be completed. While returning from the flight as scheduled, the flight instructor noted thunderstorm activity to the northwest and strong winds at an airport located about 15 miles north of their destination airport. While on final approach to land on runway 30, the flight instructor noted that the reported winds were from 260 degrees at 10 knots. She continued the approach normally; however, during the landing flare a significant change in headwind caused the airplane to climb. The flight instructor added engine power and pitched up, with the intention of aborting the landing; however, the airplane quickly descended uncontrollably onto the runway. The airplane landed hard and sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Review of weather radar around the time of the accident revealed a line of approaching echos, with a defined gust front ahead of the system. Winds reported at a nearby airport, about 30 minutes before the accident were from 210 degrees at 10 knots, and from 300 degrees at 18 knots, gusting to 29 knots, about 30 minutes after the accident.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that she and the student pilot checked the weather conditions prior to departing on an instructional flight, and noted thunderstorms were forecast for the area about 1 hour after their flight was scheduled to be completed. While returning from the flight as scheduled, the flight instructor noted thunderstorm activity to the northwest and strong winds at an airport located about 15 miles north of their destination airport. While on final approach to land on runway 30, the flight instructor noted that the reported winds were from 260 degrees at 10 knots. She continued the approach normally; however, during the landing flare a significant change in headwind caused the airplane to climb. The flight instructor added engine power and pitched up, with the intention of aborting the landing; however, the airplane quickly descended uncontrollably onto the runway. The airplane landed hard and sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Review of weather radar around the time of the accident revealed a line of approaching echos, with a defined gust front ahead of the system. Winds reported at a nearby airport, about 30 minutes before the accident were from 210 degrees at 10 knots, and from 300 degrees at 18 knots, gusting to 29 knots, about 30 minutes after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7368F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273257
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 12,295
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Navy Annapolis Flight Center
- Registered owner
- W Tech Consulting Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · May 1, 2014 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- ESN · Easton, MD
- Destination
- ANP · Edgewater, MD
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- ANP · Lee, runway 30, 2,500 × 48 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 10, 2014
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 600 total · 473 in this make and model · 500 as pilot in command · 61 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 77 total · 77 in this make and model · 8 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 18 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- NAK, 5 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 27, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.