Cessna 172N accident near Annapolis, Maryland, April 9, 1997
On April 9, 1997 at about 1:12 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N739AH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Annapolis, Maryland (Annapolis 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 pilot's failure to raise the flaps during the go-around. Factors involved were the high wind conditions and the pilot's failure to remove the carburetor heat.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 1997 · about 1:12 pm local time
- Place
- Annapolis, Maryland · Annapolis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N739AH · no longer on the register · serial 17270386
- 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 briefed the winds in the local area were about 13 knots with gusts up to 21 knots. The instructor and student pilot then departed on a training flight. On short final for his third landing, the student had 65 knots on the airspeed indicator, 30 degrees of flaps set, and the carburetor heat on. As the student flared the airplane, a gust of wind lifted the right wing, and the instructor took control of the airplane. The instructor was unable to aligned the airplane with the runway. He added full power, did not touch the flaps or carburetor heat, and executed a go around. When the instructor added power, the nose of the airplane pulled more to the left, and the ground track was in line with two hangars. He avoided the hangars, but was heading for a small field. Unable to maintain level flight, and in an attempt to gain airspeed, the flight instructor lowered the nose of the airplane. The airplane continued to descend, and the flight instructor stated that 'he flared as much as possible to soften the touchdown (impact).' According to information manual for the aircraft , 'In a balked landing (go around) climb, reduce the flap setting to 20 degrees immediately after full power is applied. If obstacles must be cleared during the go-around climb, reduce the wing flap setting to 10 degrees and maintain a safe airspeed until the obstacles are cleared...after clearing any obstacles, the flaps may be retracted as the airplane accelerates to the normal flaps-up climb speed.'
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,875 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,299 as pilot in command; 18 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,726 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 1997; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ANP at 12:30 pm
- Destination: ANP
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 2,505 ft by 48 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 15 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:54 pm from BWI, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.