Cessna 172S accident near Frederick, Maryland, August 25, 2010
On August 25, 2010 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N387AF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Frederick, Maryland (Freerick Municipal Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). The NTSB record does not give the injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Undetermined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 2010 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Frederick, Maryland · Freerick Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N387AF · registry record · serial 172S10387
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a Phase III inspection of the airplane, the Director of Maintenance for the operator noticed that the airplane's firewall was damaged. The damage was reported to the nearest Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Flight Standards District Office, and verified by the FAA. The damage occurred between the Phase II and Phase III inspection. The airplane had flown 48.2 hours since the Phase II inspection. According to the FAA, the damage was a result of a hard landing. The purpose of the flight and composition of the flight crew was not determined. In addition, the date, actual location, and time of the accident were not determined.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
Dual student
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Unknown MD
- Destination: Unknown MD
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 05, 5,220 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N387AF 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.