Cessna 172I accident near Frederick, Maryland, November 27, 2008
On November 27, 2008 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172I, registered N35540, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Frederick, Maryland (Frederick Municipal Airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's delayed decision to abort the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 2008 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Frederick, Maryland · Frederick Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172I · all 172Is on the register
- Registration
- N35540 · no longer on the register · serial 17256821
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot of the Cessna 172I stated that following an uneventful local flight, he returned to his home airport to practice takeoffs and landings. During the second approach, just above the runway, the pilot realized that the airplane was "low and slow," so he increased engine power. The airplane's descent rate did not change appreciably, and with the airplane drifting toward the left, the pilot decided to abort the landing. The pilot subsequently increased engine power to full, and kept the airplane's pitch attitude level. Shortly thereafter, the pilot heard the landing gear strike the top of the precision approach path indicator light box. The pilot attempted to "set the airplane down" and the nose landing gear struck the edge of the runway, collapsing it, and resulted in substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies associated with the airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR go-around)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Student pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Student pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 115 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,861 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 10, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sky Hi INC
The flight
- Departed from: FDK Frederick MD at 3:20 pm
- Destination: FDK Frederick MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,220 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 3:29 pm from FDK, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.