NTSB BFO85LA055 — 1985-07-05 · HAGERSTOWN, Maryland, United States

Current FAA registration · N12740

Make / Model: CESSNA 172M
Year of manufacture: 1973 · 12 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19730921
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A070B0

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N12740 Cessna 172M None

Factual narrative

THE RECENTLY CERTIFICATED INSTRUCTOR WAS PERFORMING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS WITH A PARAPLEGIC STUDENT, WHO USED A HAND CONTROL FOR RUDDER OPERATION. ON THE THIRD LANDINGS THE ACFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND THE CFI TOOK CONTROL OF THE ACFT. THE STUDENT PILOT RELEASED THE HAND CONTROL OF THE RUDDER AND THE CFI APPLIED LEFT RUDDER AT THIS POINT. WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE ACFT. FULL PWR WAS THEN ADDED AT THE ACFT DEPARTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY. AS THE ACFT WAS LEAVING THE RWY TO THE RIGHT, THE EMPENNAGE COLLIDED WITH TWO TAXIWAY SIGNS AND A LIGHT. THE CFI REGAINED CONTROL OF THE ACFT AND BROUGHT IT TO A FULL STOP. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1985_BFO85LA055.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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