- Date
- June 25, 2008, 17:20 local (21:20 UTC)
- Place
- Stevensville, MD
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3504XCessna 172 SP
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080625838999A
- Case key
- 68471
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 flight instructor's delayed decision to go around.
Findings · 2
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 certificated flight instructor (CFI) of the Cessna 172 was demonstrating a simulated engine failure on the downwind leg of a left traffic pattern. He closed the throttle, banked the airplane toward the runway, and trimmed it for "best glide speed with flaps retracted." Approaching the runway environment at an approximately 45-degree angle, the CFI attempted to align the airplane with the runway heading while simultaneously flaring it. He then decided to go around, and added full power; however, the airplane touched down on the south side of the runway, "bounced" towards, then crossed the runway, and exited it on the north side. The airplane then struck in-ground lighting, continued up an embankment, and came to rest in tall grass. The wing spar and firewall were damaged, and no mechanical anomalies were noted with the airplane prior to the accident. Winds reported at a station 7 miles to the west, about the time of the accident, were about 60 degrees from the right of the runway, at 10 knots.
Factual narrative
According to witnesses and the certificated flight instructor (CFI) of the Cessna 172, he was demonstrating a simulated engine failure on the downwind leg of a left traffic pattern. He closed the throttle, banked the airplane toward the runway, and trimmed it for "best glide speed with flaps retracted." Approaching the runway environment at an approximately 45-degree angle, the CFI attempted to align the airplane with the runway heading while simultaneously flaring it. He then decided to go around, and added full power; however, the airplane touched down on the south side of the runway, "bounced" towards, then crossed the runway, and exited it on the north side. The airplane then struck in-ground lighting, continued up an embankment, and came to rest in tall grass. The wing spar and firewall were damaged, and no mechanical anomalies were noted with the airplane prior to the accident. Winds reported at a station 7 miles to the west, about the time of the accident, were about 60 degrees from the right of the runway, at 10 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3504X
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 SP
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8861
- Airframe hours
- 2,213
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cruising Speed Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 1, 2008
- Departed
- W29 · Stevensville, MD
- Destination
- W29
- Airport
- W29 · Bay Bridge Airport, runway 11, 2,906 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2008
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 583 total · 300 in this make and model · 490 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- NAK, 7 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.