Cessna R172E accident near Patuxent River, Maryland, August 10, 2005
On August 10, 2005 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna R172E, registered N7880N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Patuxent River, Maryland (Patuxent River Naval Air Stat. 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 pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing, resulting in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2005 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Patuxent River, Maryland · Patuxent River Naval Air Stat. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172E · all R172Es on the register
- Registration
- N7880N · no longer on the register · serial R172-0271
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing, the pilot "porpoised" the airplane and did not recover until the third touchdown. He realized after parking the airplane, that the propeller had struck the ground during the landing. The pilot reported 322 hours of total flight experience, 311 of which were in make and model. He additionally reported no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the firewall.
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: student
- Flight time: 322 hours in all; 311 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,967 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Patuxent River Navy Flying Club
The flight
- Departed from: 2W6 Leonardtown MD
- Destination: NHK Patuxent River MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 30,000 ft; a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from NHK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.