Cessna 172 accident near Westminster, Maryland, April 22, 2022
On April 22, 2022 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1968 Cessna 172, registered N35571, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Westminster, 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s failure to attain the proper touchdown point which resulted in a runway overrun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 2022 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Westminster, Maryland · Clearview Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 L, built 1968 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N35571 · no longer on the register · serial 17256842
- 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 he was conducting a local solo instructional flight and landing in calm wind conditions. During his first approach the airplane was “too high and fast,” and he performed a go-around. During his second approach the airplane was “a little high and fast;” however, he elected to continue the landing. The student pilot could not recall the point on the runway where the airplane touched down but knew it was “past the go-around point.” The pilot stated that the airplane carried too much speed to stop on the remaining runway. The airplane overran the departure end, continued down an embankment, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The airplane’s vertical stabilizer was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 60 hours in all; 55 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,732.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 24, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 10,313 hours total
- Operator: Clearview Flying Club INC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 1,840 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.38 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from KDMW, 8 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KDMW 222155Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 20/02 A3038 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on April 20, 2023. 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 Memo for Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | 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.
Other NTSB records under N35571 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.