Cessna 172P accident near College Park, Maryland, April 7, 1991
On April 7, 1991 at about 11:21 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N9671A, was substantially damaged in an accident near College Park, Maryland (College Park airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT MISJUDGED ALTITUDE AND DISTANCE WHICH RESULTED IN AN OVERRUN OF THE RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 1991 · about 11:21 pm local time
- Place
- College Park, Maryland · College Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N9671A · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ON HIS SECOND ATTEMPT TO LAND; HE REPORTED THAT HE WAS TOO HIGH AND FAST DURING THE FIRST ATTEMPT, SO HE DID A GO AROUND. ON HIS SECOND TRY HE USED 20 DEGREES OF FLAPS WITH 70 KNOT APPROACH SPEED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS AGAIN TOO HIGH AND FAST, ALTHOUGH HE DECIDED TO LAND. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED AND THEN TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE END OF THE RUNWAY. TH PILOT SAID HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP IN TIME TO AVOID OVERUNNING THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES BEYOND THE RUNWAY.
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: 127 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Civil Air Patrol, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: W29 Stevensville MD
- Destination: CGS College Park MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 2,700 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from DCA, 999 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.