Cessna 172P accident near Cambridge, Maryland, October 29, 1988
On October 29, 1988 at about 2:20 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N63019, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cambridge, Maryland (Cambridge/Dorchester airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- October 29, 1988 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Cambridge, Maryland · Cambridge/Dorchester · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N63019 · registry record · serial 172-75379
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STU PLT DID THREE TAKEOFFS & LNDGS WITH THE INSTR ABOARD AND THEN THREE MORE DURING SOLO FLIGHT. ON HIS FOURTH TAKEOFF TRY HE USED AILERON AND RUDDER TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ON THE RWY. THERE WAS AN 8 TO 10 KT CROSSWIND. THE STU SAID WHEN THE ACFT LIFTED OFF HE DID NOT NEUTRALIZE THE AILERONS CAUSING THE ACFT TO BANK TO THE RIGHT. THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 50 FT ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN HE ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. AFTER POWER WAS REDUCED THE ACFT PITCHED DOWN AND COLLIDED WITH THE RWY, SKIDDED ABOUT 40 FT AND NOSED OVER.
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: 51 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,416 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 3, 1988; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 8 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.