Cessna 172S accident near Salisbury, Maryland, June 25, 2010
On June 25, 2010 at about 3:42 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N2373K, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Salisbury, Maryland (Salisbury-Ocean City 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 2010 · about 3:42 pm local time
- Place
- Salisbury, Maryland · Salisbury-Ocean City · 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
- N2373K · registry record · serial 172S8074
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot, he had conducted a 1.5-hour solo cross country flight and was landing at the destination airport. The student pilot stated that the airplane was "too high and too fast" on the landing approach, and the airplane "bounced" on touchdown. The student pilot "dove for the runway" in an attempt to recover, the airplane's nose landing gear contacted the runway, and the tire "blew." Postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the engine firewall. The student pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies He also reported 54 hours of total flight experience.
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 defining event
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 › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 54 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 11 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,319 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 3, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Reading Aero Club INC
The flight
- Departed from: RDG Reading PA at 2:12 pm
- Destination: SBY Salisbury MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from SBY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA10CA350.