Cessna 172 N52232

Summary

On 12 March 2020 at about 15:20 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N52232, operated by Infinity Flight School, was involved in an accident near Ocean City, Maryland, United States. One person was 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

12 March 2020 at 15:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Ocean City, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Ocean City Muni (OXB)

Coordinates

38.3106, -75.1239

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N52232

Category

Airplane

Year built

2008

Engines

1

Operator

Infinity Flight School

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wildwood → Ocean City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20CA141

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during an attempted go-around to avoid birds, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent nose-over.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter pilot was conducting his first solo cross-country flight in an airplane. He reported that some birds moved over the runway as he was about to land the airplane. He applied full power and retracted the flaps to initiate a go-around; however, the airplane touched down and departed the left side of the runway onto grass. The airplane's nose and both wings impacted terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.