Summary
On June 25, 2008, a Cessna 172 SP (N3504X) was involved in an incident near Stevensville, MD. All 3 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The flight instructor's delayed decision to go around.
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.
This incident is documented in NTSB report NYC08CA230. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N3504X.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The flight instructor's delayed decision to go around.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
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.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC08CA230