Cessna 172 accident near Martinsburg, West Virginia, July 31, 2021
On July 31, 2021 at about 10:18 pm local time, a 2021 Cessna 172, registered N805CP, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Martinsburg, West Virginia (Eastern Wv Rgnl/Shepherd Fld airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s loss of directional control after an aerodynamic stall at takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2021 · about 10:18 pm local time
- Place
- Martinsburg, West Virginia · Eastern Wv Rgnl/Shepherd Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S, built 2021 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N805CP · registry record · serial 172S12625
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor was demonstrating a soft field takeoff maneuver with 10° of flaps. After lift-off, the airplane “suddenly” and immediately yawed to its left. Both the angle of attack indicator and the stall warning horn provided audible alerts as the pitch attitude exceeded 10° on the primary flight display. The airplane rolled left, right, and left again before it touched down, transitioned a grass area, and came to rest upright on a taxiway. The pilots egressed the airplane unhurt and discovered substantial damage to the left wing. The flight crew reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the performance and handling of 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
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 812 hours in all; 686 in this make and model; 152 in the last 90 days; 69 in the last 30 days; 657 as pilot in command; 313 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 42 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 141.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 29, 2021; 59.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 141 hours total
- Operator: Civil Air Patrol INC
The flight
- Runway 08/2, 8,815 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KMRB
Weather report (METAR): KMRB 312053Z AUTO 10004KT 10SM CLR 27/12 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP131 T02670122 57016
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 29, 2022. 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, 13 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.