ERA24LA204

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 172M · Westminster, MD · May 1, 2024

Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal report
Date
May 1, 2024, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
Place
Westminster, MD · next to runway
Injuries
1 minor, 1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N1377UCessna 172M
Defining event
Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
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
20240501004279A
Case key
194193

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 attain a proper touchdown point during a simulated loss of engine power approach, which resulted in a hard landing short of the runway. Also causal was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action during the approach and subsequent aborted landing.

Findings · 3

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.

Performance/control parameters: descent/approach/glide pathAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 172M: 15 casesAll aircraft: 809 casesProbable cause
Action: delayed actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilotCessna 172M: 20 casesAll aircraft: 894 casesProbable cause

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 and the private pilot were practicing a simulated loss of engine power in the airport traffic pattern as part of the private pilot’s flight review. On base leg, the private pilot added 20 degrees of flaps. The flight instructor told the private pilot that he should wait to extend the flaps until he was sure that the airplane would be able to reach the runway, and the private pilot responded that he would be able to reach the runway. The flight instructor did not correct the pilot’s actions and continued with the approach. As the airplane descended on final approach, the airspeed decreased to 60 knots, and the flight instructor realized that the airplane would not be able to reach the runway. A review of airport surveillance video revealed the airplane touched down hard short of the runway surface, bounced, before the engine power increased. The instructor stated that he told the private pilot to go-around, and that the private pilot added full power, carburetor heat, and brought the flaps to 10 degrees. The airplane began to climb, turned to the left, and was in a nose-high pitch attitude. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and attempted to apply remedial control inputs, but they were not effective. The surveillance video showed that after a brief climb low speed climb, the airplane was in a nose-high pitch, left wing low attitude before it descended to ground contact. The airplane subsequently nosed over and the left-wing strut, fuselage, and empennage were substantially damaged. The flight instructor reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Aircraft

Registration
N1377U
Reported as
Cessna 172M
Category
Airplane
Serial number
17267048
Built
1976
Airframe hours
21,000
Engine
Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Registered owner
Wifa (Washington International Flight Academy) LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · March 12, 2024
Departed
GAI · Gaithersburg, MD
Destination
Same as departure
Flight plan
VFR
Airport
DMW · Carroll County Rgnl/Jack B Poage Fld, runway 16/34, 5,100 × 100 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Unknown

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
37
Injuries
Minor
Certificate
Flight instructor
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
April 25, 2024
Seat
Right
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
648 total · 222 in this make and model · 557 as pilot in command · 104 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Role
Pilot
Age
28
Injuries
Minor
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
March 8, 2022
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
80 total · 9 in this make and model · 20 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
270° at 5 knots, gusting 14
Visibility
10 statute miles
Temperature
81 °F, dew point 52 °F
Altimeter
29.93 inHg
Observed at
KDMW
METAR
METAR KDMW 011840Z AUTO 27005G14KT 10SM CLR 27/11 A2993

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 111 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.