Cessna R172K accident near Bowie, Maryland, October 13, 1998
On October 13, 1998 at about 11:00 am local time, a Cessna R172K, registered N736KL, was destroyed in an accident near Bowie, Maryland (Freeway airport). It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Also causal was the pilot's poor in-flight planning/decision, and his continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions. A related factor was the fog.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 1998 · about 11:00 am local time
- Place
- Bowie, Maryland · Freeway · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172K · all R172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N736KL · no longer on the register · serial R1722587
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was scheduled to fly the early morning traffic watch with a traffic reporter, for about 3 hours, to provide coverage in the Washington/Virginia area. The reporter said they departed about 6:00 a.m. and that he was unable to provide his first traffic update due to the ground fog. A witness about a 1/4 mile from the accident site, said he heard an airplane circle overhead, but he was unable to see it through the dense fog. Shortly thereafter, through the broken clouds, he saw a blue and white airplane, followed by an engine surge, and then he heard an impact. The airplane struck the patio of a residence. The airplane and the rear section of the residence was destroyed as a result of the collision and post-crash fire. A helicopter pilot who was also reporting traffic said that the ceiling was about 300 feet and there was no forward visibility. The traffic reporter in the accident airplane said that they were about 400 feet, and they tried to land, but the pilot added power with 40 degree of flaps. He said the airplane stalled and he heard the pilot say, 'Oh no.' Examination of the engine and airframe did not disclose any evidence of mechanical malfunction.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 750 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,499 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 28, 1998; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-KB6B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: GAI Gaithersburg MD at 11:00 am
- Destination: W00 MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,425 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from ADW, 17 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.