- Date
- June 24, 1998, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Westminster, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6640HCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 31, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980624015169A
- Case key
- 39578
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 misjudgment of distance and speed during the approach/landing, and his delay in initiating a go-around. The quartering tailwind was a related factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While returning to his home base, the student pilot became disorientated, and requested assistance from Baltimore Approach Control. Baltimore provided the pilot with radar vectors to an airport. He landed on runway 13 with a wind from 270 degrees at 12 knots. After touching down, the pilot realized that airport was a short field, and that he was not configured for that type of landing. He attempted a go-around, but could not get the airplane to lift off. Subsequently, it nosed over and came to rest inverted.
Factual narrative
On June 24, 1998, at 1330 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N6640H, owned and operated by Congressional Air Charter Inc., was substantially damaged while landing at Clearview Airpark Airport (2W2), Westminster, Maryland. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instructional flight that originated at Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK), about 1300, destined for Montgomery County Airpark Airport (GAI), Gaithersburg, Maryland. No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In a written statement, the student pilot stated he had been doing traffic pattern work at FDK before attempting a return to GAI, the airplane's home base. While en route he became disorientated, and requested assistance from Baltimore Approach Control. Baltimore then provided him with radar vectors to 2W2. The pilot added that it was "quite windy and bumpy" as he entered the traffic pattern for 2W2. After touching down, the pilot realized that 2W2 was a "short field" and that he was not configured for that type of landing. He attempted to abort the landing, but during the maneuver, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted.
A review of aeronautical information for GAI, FDK, and 2W2 showed the following. GAI: the airport where the airplane was based had one runway that was 4,201 feet in length, and 75 feet wide. FDK: the airport the student pilot was practicing traffic patterns at also had one runway measuring 5,220 feet in length, and 100 feet in width. 2W2, the accident airport had one runway measuring 1,845 feet in length, and was 30 feet wide.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6640H
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17265520
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Congressional Air Charter Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 15, 1998 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- FDK · Frederick, MD
- Destination
- GAI · Gaithersburg, MD
- Airport
- 2W2 · Clearview Airpark, runway 13, 1,845 × 30 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 41 total · 41 in this make and model · 5 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BWI, 25 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.