Cessna 172S accident near Stevensville, Maryland, July 26, 2008
On July 26, 2008 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N331ME, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Stevensville, Maryland (Bay Bridge Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's inadequate remedial action following the student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2008 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Stevensville, Maryland · Bay Bridge Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N331ME · registry record · serial 172S8464
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated flight instructor and the student pilot were practicing crosswind takeoffs and landings with an 8 knot, 90-degree crosswind. During the second landing attempt, as the airplane crossed the runway threshold, the student reduced power "more abruptly" than he had on the previous landing. The airplane "bounced," and the flight instructor told the student to add power. The student then "took out the wind correction on the ailerons and tensed up." The flight instructor attempted to re-apply the left aileron control, and told the student "don't fight me." The student then added power while the flight instructor retracted the flaps 10 degrees, from the 20-degree setting. The flight instructor expected the student to increase the engine power to full for a go-around, as they had practiced in the previous lessons, but he did not and the airplane bounced a second time. The airplane was at the far right edge of the runway when the flight instructor assumed the flight controls and reduced the engine power to idle. The airplane continued off the right side of the runway, and onto a grass area, where it struck an embankment, and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, wing spar, and 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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 510 hours in all; 205 in this make and model; 164 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days; 429 as pilot in command; 216 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 1, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 8 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,454 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Chesapeake Proflight, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: BWI Baltimore MD at 1:00 pm
- Destination: W29 Stevensville MD
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 29, 2,903 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 1:30 pm from W29
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 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.