Cessna 172M accident near Hagerstown, Maryland, July 5, 1985
On July 5, 1985 at about 2:47 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N12740, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hagerstown, Maryland (Hagrstwn/Wash County Reg. airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 1985 · about 2:47 pm local time
- Place
- Hagerstown, Maryland · Hagrstwn/Wash County Reg. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N12740 · registry record · serial 17262220
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE RECENTLY CERTIFICATED INSTRUCTOR WAS PERFORMING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS WITH A PARAPLEGIC STUDENT, WHO USED A HAND CONTROL FOR RUDDER OPERATION. ON THE THIRD LANDINGS THE ACFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND THE CFI TOOK CONTROL OF THE ACFT. THE STUDENT PILOT RELEASED THE HAND CONTROL OF THE RUDDER AND THE CFI APPLIED LEFT RUDDER AT THIS POINT. WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE ACFT. FULL PWR WAS THEN ADDED AT THE ACFT DEPARTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY. AS THE ACFT WAS LEAVING THE RWY TO THE RIGHT, THE EMPENNAGE COLLIDED WITH TWO TAXIWAY SIGNS AND A LIGHT. THE CFI REGAINED CONTROL OF THE ACFT AND BROUGHT IT TO A FULL STOP.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 339 hours in all; 74 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 253 as pilot in command; 35 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,708 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 3, 1985; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HGR Hagerstown MD at 2:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,450 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 pm from HGR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO85LA055.