Cessna 172C accident near Laurel, Maryland, December 22, 1994
On December 22, 1994 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172C, registered N1620Y, was destroyed in an accident near Laurel, Maryland. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection which failed to detect water-contaminated fuel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 22, 1994 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Laurel, Maryland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172C · all 172Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1620Y · no longer on the register · serial 17249320
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE PREFLIGHT, THE PILOT FOUND THE LEFT WING FUEL CAP OFF. HE STATED HE DRAINED ALL THREE FUEL SUMPS, ROCKED THE WINGS, AND DRAINED THE SUMPS AGAIN. HE STATED THE ENGINE STARTED WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM AND HE TAXIED THE AIRPLANE TO THE FUEL PUMP AND REFUELED THE AIRPLANE. HE STATED THAT AFTER THE REFUELING HE DRAINED THE FUEL SUMPS AGAIN. DURING THE FLIGHT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE AND THEN REGAIN POWER. THE PILOT DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE DEPARTED AIRPORT AND WHILE EN ROUTE THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING AND COLLIDED WITH TREES IN A WOODED AREA SHORT OF THE AIRPORT. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED WATER IN THE FUEL. THE ENGINE WAS STARTED SEVERAL TIMES AND THE ENGINE QUIT EACH TIME. AFTER EACH ENGINE FAILURE, WATER WAS FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL. ONCE THE WATER WAS DEPLETED FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM, THE ENGINE RAN WITH NO ANOMALIES NOTED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST FLOWN ABOUT 7 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. HE SAID IN THOSE 7 DAYS THERE WAS PRECIPITATION IN THE AREA. THE NIGHT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW FREEZING.
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: 200 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,283 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 15, 1995; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 pm from BWI, 15 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.