Cessna 152 accident near Mechanicsville, Maryland, July 23, 1985
On July 23, 1985 at about 8:56 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N24787, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mechanicsville, Maryland. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 1985 · about 8:56 pm local time
- Place
- Mechanicsville, Maryland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N24787 · registry record · serial 15280379
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER COMPLETING SEVERAL LOW ALTITUDE PASSES OVER THE FAMILY BUSINESS, THE STUDENT PILOT EXTENDED 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS AND PULLED THE POWER BACK TO SLOW THE AIRPLANE IN ORDER TO LENGTHEN HIS VIEWING TIME. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, AFTER THE ACCIDENT, AT BETWEEN 75-100 FEET OF ALTITUDE, THE NOSE PITCHED UPWARD AND THE AIRPLANE STALLED. THE PILOT FELT SURE THAT NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE INVOLVED, SINCE THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING NORMALLY PRIOR TO THE STALL. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN AT AN APPROXIMATE 65 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 23 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,194 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 7, 1985; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W32 Clinton MD at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from NUI, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.