Cessna 172S accident near Baltimore, Maryland, June 4, 2010
On June 4, 2010 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N789EP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Baltimore, Maryland (Martin State 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’s improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper decision to land during a thunderstorm.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2010 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Baltimore, Maryland · Martin State Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N789EP · registry record · serial 172S8135
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was cleared to land on runway 33 and advised of approaching weather. During the approach, the airplane encountered heavy rain, moderate turbulence, strong crosswinds, and a “sudden downdraft and crosswind” that resulted in a “very hard” landing. The airplane became “unstable,” and began to bounce down the runway. The pilot aborted the landing and returned to land on runway 15. The airplane landed hard once again, and again bounced several times down the runway. During a turn on the runway, the pilot noted a flat nose tire and requested assistance for a tow. A subsequent examination of the airplane revealed a propeller strike and substantial damage to the firewall, as well as wrinkling of the lower fuselage. An aviation routine weather report for the airport, about the time of the accident, included winds from 150 degrees true at 7 knots, and thunderstorms in the vicinity. The director of operations where the airplane was based on the airport, and one of the line service personnel who towed the airplane after the accident, confirmed that there had been a passing thunderstorm at the time of the accident. The pilot was not sure which of the hard landings resulted in the damage to 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 156 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 47 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 10, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,462 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 6, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming I0360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Brett Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: ESN Easton/Newnam F MD at 10:15 pm
- Destination: MTN Baltimore MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 6,996 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from MTN
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.
Other NTSB records under N789EP 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.