N6640H

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.