Cessna 172 accident near Mitchellville, Maryland, November 19, 1989
On November 19, 1989 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N52491, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mitchellville, Maryland (Freeway airport). It was a personal 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 PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO ENTER AN INADVERTENT PORPOISE DURING AN ABORTED TAKEOFF.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 19, 1989 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mitchellville, Maryland · Freeway · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N52491 · no longer on the register · serial 17274539
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER FLYING ABOUT 1/2 HR IN THE LOCAL AREA, THE PLT RETURNED TO THE ARPT & LANDED. HE THEN TAXIED BACK TO THE APCH END OF THE RWY & INITIATED ANOTHER TAKEOFF. HE STATED THAT HE APPLIED FULL POWER & FULL RPM WAS OBTAINED. ALSO, HE STATED THE ACFT LIFTED OFF AT 60 TO 65 KTS, BUT WOULD ONLY CLIMB ABOUT 10 FT. HE WAS UNSURE OF WHETHER OR NOT, THE ACFT WOULD CLEAR TREES AT THE END OF THE RWY, SO HE ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF (ABOUT 1/2 TO 3/4 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RWY). DRG THE ABORTED TAKEOFF, THE ACFT BEGAN TO PORPOISE. SUBSEQUENTLY, ITS NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. NO PRE-ACDNT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT OR ENG WAS RPRTD.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 130 hours in all; 7 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,420 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.
Other NTSB records under N52491 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.