- Date
- November 30, 2017, 17:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Bowie, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N474SPCessna 172
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171130022459A
- Case key
- 96404
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 situational awareness during the approach to land. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s distraction by the instrument panel during the approach.
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.
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 that, during approach to land in night conditions, he noticed that the airspeed displayed on a newly installed electronic flight instrument was reading slightly different than the airspeed indicator. He added that his altitude judgement was affected "by the scarcity of observable objects in the landing area, the 'black hole' effect, which was likely worsened by the brightness of the [electronic instrument]." When the pilot looked up from the instrument panel, he saw tree branches approaching. The airplane struck the trees and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during approach to land in night conditions, he noticed that the airspeed displayed on a newly installed electronic flight instrument was reading slightly different than the airspeed indicator. He added that his altitude judgement was affected "by the scarcity of observable objects in the landing area, the "black hole" effect, which was likely worsened by the brightness of the [electronic instrument]". When the pilot looked up from the instrument panel, he saw tree branches approaching. The airplane struck the trees and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N474SP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8020
- Built
- 1998
- Airframe hours
- 5,890.1
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Goddard Aircraft Club Inc
- Registered owner
- Goddard Aircraft Club Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 8, 2017
- Departed
- OXB · Ocean City, MD
- Destination
- W00 · Bowie, MD
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- W00 · Freeway, runway 18, 2,420 × 40 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 27, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 345 total · 300 in this make and model · 300 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 4.1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- CGS, 7 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 6, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.5 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.