Cessna 172N N7368F

Summary

On 8 July 2014 at about 23:30 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N7368F, operated by Navy Annapolis Flight Center, was involved in an accident near Edgewater, Maryland, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 July 2014 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Edgewater, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Lee (ANP)

Coordinates

38.9428, -76.5683

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N7368F

Category

Airplane

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Navy Annapolis Flight Center

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Easton → Edgewater

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14CA334

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadvertent encounter with an unanticipated convective gust front or low-level wind shear while landing, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent hard landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that she and the student pilot checked the weather conditions prior to departing on an instructional flight, and noted thunderstorms were forecast for the area about 1 hour after their flight was scheduled to be completed. While returning from the flight as scheduled, the flight instructor noted thunderstorm activity to the northwest and strong winds at an airport located about 15 miles north of their destination airport. While on final approach to land on runway 30, the flight instructor noted that the reported winds were from 260 degrees at 10 knots. She continued the approach normally; however, during the landing flare a significant change in headwind caused the airplane to climb. The flight instructor added engine power and pitched up, with the intention of aborting the landing; however, the airplane quickly descended uncontrollably onto the runway. The airplane landed hard and sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Review of weather radar around the time of the accident revealed a line of approaching echos, with a defined gust front ahead of the system. Winds reported at a nearby airport, about 30 minutes before the accident were from 210 degrees at 10 knots, and from 300 degrees at 18 knots, gusting to 29 knots, about 30 minutes after the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.