Aero Commander 112 accident near Westminister, Maryland, November 29, 2017
On November 29, 2017 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 1973 Aero Commander 112, registered N690RU, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Westminister, Maryland (Clearview Airpark 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 failure to maintain a proper glidepath during the approach due to his distraction by the failure of an avionics panel, which resulted in a runway undershoot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 2017 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Westminister, Maryland · Clearview Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 112 UNDESIGNAT, built 1973 · all 112s on the register
- Registration
- N690RU · no longer on the register · serial 33
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, during the cross-country flight, he thought that the airplane had experienced an electrical failure, and he chose to divert to an airport. During final approach to the diversion airport, the student descended the airplane too low and then attempted to correct it by increasing engine power. Subsequently, the airplane impacted a grassy area just before the runway, which resulted in all three landing gear separating. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the electrical system was functional but that an avionics panel had failed. The failed avionics panel likely distracted the student pilot and led to his failure to maintain a proper glidepath during the approach, which resulted in the runway undershoot. The student reported that there were no other preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Landing area undershoot during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Communications system › (general) › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 179 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 16 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,692 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 12, 2017; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 1,083 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTN Baltimore MD at 2:00 pm
- Destination: MRB Martinsburg WV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 1,840 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 2:25 pm from DMW, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ERA18LA034.