- Date
- April 2, 2022, 16:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Gaithersburg, MD
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N123LSCessna 177RG
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20220402004909A
- Case key
- 104875
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 failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering on final approach which resulted in a high sink rate and subsequent collision with a fence.
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 pilot reported he was on final approach for a short field landing when the airplane developed an unexpected sink rate from which he did not have time to recover. The airplane subsequently struck a fence bordering the runway and impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. A witness located on the approach end of the runway reported that the airplane appeared to be low and at an abnormally slow airspeed, and immediately before impact with the fence, the airplane pitched up rapidly. The pilot stated that he got behind the airplane on approach and there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N123LS
- Reported as
- Cessna 177RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 177RG0334
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 2,831
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- W50 · Davis Airport, runway 08/26, 2,000 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B, 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 74
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 16, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,410 total · 40 in this make and model · 1,300 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.99 inHg
- Observed at
- GAI, 5 nm away
- METAR
- KGAI 022056Z AUTO 20007KT 170V240 10SM CLR 14/M04 A2999 RMK AO2 SLP169 T01391039 56030
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 31, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.8 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.
Other investigations on N123LS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.