Amateur-built SHOESTRING S-102 accident near Gaithersburg, Maryland, April 24, 1988
On April 24, 1988 at about 8:00 pm local time, a amateur-built SHOESTRING S-102, registered N47CL, was destroyed in an accident near Gaithersburg, Maryland. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT INPROPERLY PERFORMING AEROBATICS WITHOUT SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO COMPLETE A RECOVERY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 1988 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Gaithersburg, Maryland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SHOESTRING S-102 SHOESTRING
- Registration
- N47CL · registry record · serial CL102
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE PLT MADE SEVERAL TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS PRIOR TO DEPARTING THE AIRPORT AREA. THE ACFT WAS NEXT SEEN AT AN ALT OF APRX 300 FT AGL OVER A LAND-FILL APRX 2 MILES FROM THE ARPT. THE ACFT ENTERED A 360 DEG TURN WITH 60 DEGS BANK. THE PLT THEN MADE A BARREL ROLL FOLLOWED BY A LEFT WING OVER. THE WITNESS STATED HE SAW THE WING FLUTTER AND THE ACFT ENTERED A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE PRIOR TO CONTACTING THE TREES AND TERRAIN.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GAI Gaithersburg MD at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 16 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from BWI
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.