Event IAD97LA072

Factual narrative

On May 5, 1997, about 1710 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172H, N3748F, was substantially damaged as it overran the runway on landing rollout at the Clearview Airpark, Westminister, Maryland. The certificated private pilot/owner and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from the Capital City Airport (CXY), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, about 1630. The private pilot reported that his airspeed indicated 70 mph, and his touchdown point was estimated at 300 feet beyond the numbers, due to a moderate crosswind. He stated that "the airplane failed to stop even with constant braking." He wrote that the airplane "drifted off the end of the runway, coasted into a ditch, and tipped end over end, landing on its roof." He stated that no airport advisories were available. A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector conducted an examination of the wreckage and interviewed the pilot. The Inspector reported that the pilot made an initial landing attempt, and then performed a go around. The Inspector indicated that the airplane touched down past midfield. Runway 31 was 1,845 feet long and 30 feet wide, with a displaced threshold of 278 feet and a greater than 2% downward incline starting at midfield. The Inspector reported that the pilot drifted off the runway during rollout, and attempted braking with one main wheel on the pavement and the other wheel on the grass. The pilot reported that the brakes were locked as the airplane went off the end of the runway, through a sawdust pile, and down the embankment. The pilot stated to the Inspector that he normally flew from CXY, which had a control tower and long runways. He told the Inspector that "he landed at 2W2 twice previously, with high anxiety each time." The pilot's logbook indicated a total of 393 flight hours, with 336 hours as pilot in command. The Cessna Owner's Manual Performance-Specifications section stated that the total landing distance over a 50 foot Obstacle was 1,250 feet. The private pilot's initial landing attempt resulted in a go around on the 1,845 foot long runway, with a 278 foot displaced threshold and a greater than 2% downward incline starting at midfield. On his second attempt, the pilot estimated the touchdown point was about 300 feet from the numbers, and the airplane continued to the end of the runway even with constant braking. The Federal Aviation Administration Inspector reported that the airplane touched down about midfield, and drifted off the runway during rollout. Braking was attempted with one main wheel on the pavement and the other wheel on the grass. The brakes were locked as the airplane went off the runway, down the embankment, and flipped over. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12