Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Cessna 150G, N8428J: Accident occurred February 17, 2021 near Maryland Airport (2W5), Indian Head, Charles County, Maryland

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Herndon, Virginia 


Location: Indian Head, MD 
Accident Number: ERA21LA132
Date & Time: February 17, 2021, 09:45 Local 
Registration: N8428J
Aircraft: Cessna 150G
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

On February 17, 2021, about 945 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150G, N8428J, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Maryland Airport (2W5), Indian Head, Maryland. The flight instructor and pilot-rated student were uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. 

According to the pilot-rated student, he kept his airplane tied down on the ramp at the Potomac Airfield (VKX), Friendly, Maryland. On the day of the accident, he was flying with his flight instructor to prepare for his initial flight instructor checkride. He added 10 gallons of fuel to the fuel tanks, conducted a preflight inspection, and rocked the wings to free any water that might have been trapped in the fuel tank before draining the fuel tank sumps. He noted no water from the wing sump fuel samples; however, there was water in the fuel drained from the fuel strainer drain. He also noted that the right wing sump did not "flow as freely" as the left wing sump.

About 90 minutes into the lesson while performing a left chandelle maneuver, the engine “hiccuped” momentarily. The instructor and pilot-rated student climbed to 4,000 ft msl and proceeded about 10 miles to 2W5 for a precautionary landing. The pilot-rated student reported that upon arrival over 2W5, he descended in a circle over the airport. Upon arriving abeam the runway numbers on a right downwind leg to runway 20, the airplane was still several hundred feet above pattern altitude. He stated that the instructor took control of the airplane and initiated a side slip to lose altitude, keeping the throttle set to 1,400 rpm to ensure that the engine did not lose power. The instructor stated that flaps were not extended during the side slip because the airplane’s airspeed was “above the white arc.” When the airplane reached the midpoint of the 3,740-ft runway at an indicated airspeed of 100 knots, the instructor executed a go-around maneuver. During the maneuver, after the airplane climbed about 300-400 feet, the engine stopped producing power and the propeller windmilled momentarily before stopping. With inadequate time to perform remedial actions, the instructor executed a forced landing into the trees. The empennage and both wings sustained substantial damage. 

The airplane and engine were recovered and retained for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna 
Registration: N8428J
Model/Series: 150G Aircraft
Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC 
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KDAA,73 ft msl
Observation Time: 09:56 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 10 Nautical Miles 
Temperature/Dew Point: -1°C /-14°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 21000 ft AGL
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 5 knots / , 340°
Lowest Ceiling: None 
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.44 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point: Friendly, MD (VKX)
Destination: Indian Head, MD (2W5)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 None 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 38.585556,-77.067778
 











BRYANS ROAD, Maryland (ABC7) — A plane crashed near Bryans Road, Maryland, state police reported Wednesday. The plane landed in the treetops and fell roughly 65 feet to the ground, according to the public information officer for the Charles County Fire Department.

Two people were aboard the plane, a male pilot and a female passenger. Both individuals refused medical attention and are being interviewed by Maryland State Police.

The fire department received a call around 9:47 a.m. for the report of a small plane down near Maryland Airport. Officials were able to ping the cell phone the pilot was using to get a better location of where the plane crashed, according to the PIO.

Fire officials were able to find the pilot along a bike trail off Bumpy Oak Road in Indian Head, Maryland roughly 300 yards down the trail.

Officials say they apparently experienced engine trouble and tried to return to Maryland Airport but were unsuccessful.

Maryland State Police say hazmat crews are on the scene of the crash to assist with spilled fuel and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been notified of the incident.

12 comments:

  1. WOW what lucky people in those woods with nothing but hardwoods. It looks like he did things right by going full flaps and mushing it in trying to thread the nose through the tree trunks on the way down - just as I was trained learning how to fly around dense pine forests in the southeast. Looking at the tree branch overhang over that narrow road looks like an attempt there wouldn't have been much safer (possibly even more dangerous catching a wing and snapping the aircraft head first onto the pavement).

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  2. Lesson for all. Many tree landings are survivable as long as the wing is not stalled.

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  3. Does that plane have some sort of modification to the inboard sections of the wing?

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    1. No, those are fuel tanks...outboard of that moved aft on impact likely.

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    2. No, those are fuel tanks...outboard of that moved aft on impact likely.

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    3. No, those are fuel tanks...outboard of that moved aft on impact likely.

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  4. Arrived at airport at 3500 feet, then spiraled down over the airport to lose altitude (controller too used to dealing with jets?). But did you pull your carb heat on during the descent?

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  5. The second photo shows a guy in a safety lime green jacket setting up his drone. So who's taking that photo?

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    1. Wait, in the forth photo that guy is gone. It's like he just flew away. And the drone is still there.

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    2. looks to me like hes inside the black chevy in photo 4.

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