Cessna 120 accident near Annapolis, Maryland, March 25, 2010
On March 25, 2010 at about 7:33 pm local time, a Cessna 120, registered N72560, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Annapolis, Maryland (Lee Airport). It was a ferry 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
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 2010 · about 7:33 pm local time · cases in 2010
- Place
- Annapolis, Maryland · Lee Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120 · all 120s on the register
- Registration
- N72560 · registry record · serial 9730
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to ferry the airplane to a location where it would undergo an annual inspection. The airplane had not been flown for several months and during the preflight inspection the pilot drained the fuel bowl observing no water. Following the engine start, the pilot performed a normal engine run-up and magneto check. During the initial climb after takeoff, the engine lost power and the pilot ditched the airplane in nearby river. After being submerged in the river for several days, the airplane was recovered and an examination was performed with no mechanical anomalies found.
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 engine power (total) during takeoff defining event
- Ditching during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Failure other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,870 hours in all; 280 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3,870 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 28, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 15, 2009; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C85 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ANP Annapolis MD at 7:32 pm
- Destination: W29 Stevensville MD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 19 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.72 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from BWI, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on November 3, 2010. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Other Pertinent Forms and Reports-record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N72560 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 120 660 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor C85 SERIES 4,671 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Lee Airport · nearest airport
- Bay Bridge Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Maryland 837 since 1982 · 111 in the last ten years
- Maryland 2,348 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA10LA189.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.