Cessna 177RG accident near Westminster, Maryland, May 19, 1996
On May 19, 1996 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 177RG, registered N35082, was substantially damaged in an accident near Westminster, Maryland (Carroll County Regional airport). It was a personal 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 pilot-in-command's failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing. A factor in this accident was the CFI-rated pilot/passenger's inattention.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 1996 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Westminster, Maryland · Carroll County Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177RG · all 177RGs on the register
- Registration
- N35082 · no longer on the register · serial 177RG1042
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he had just taken off to the north to practice landings on the 5000-foot long and 100-foot wide runway. The traffic pattern was normal with a normal landing. As the airplane was rolling on the runway, he applied power for a touch-and-go. The airplane veered left causing the right wing to raise. The pilot stated that in order to stabilize the airplane, it was necessary to roll off the runway onto the grass. The pilot wrote that 'once on the grass, running parallel to the runway, control of steering and braking was diminished and insufficient to avoid the taxi-way marker (2000 feet remaining runway marker) which was struck by the left side of the stabilator, causing the damage. The certificated flight instructor passenger commented that he was looking out his window and not paying attention. The winds in the local area were recorded from the west southwest at approximately 10 knots.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 277 hours in all; 233 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 277 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,019 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 18, 1995; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: BWI Baltimore MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 5,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from BWI, 31 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.