| Crash location | 39.167778°N, 77.159444°W |
| Nearest city | Gaithersburg, MD
39.143441°N, 77.201370°W 2.8 miles away |
| Tail number | N249ER |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 14 Nov 2010 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 172N |
| Additional details: | None |
According to the student pilot, he completed a "stabilized" approach to runway 14, with the airspeed 5 knots higher than the prescribed approach speed due to the wind conditions. During the landing flare, the pilot "felt wind shear that caused the touchdown,and the airplane ballooned back into the air to about 20 feet." The student pilot then added power to slow the descent, and the airplane "ballooned again with some drift to the left." The student pilot then decided to go around, and as he "applied full power without adding rudder," the airplane veered to the left and departed the left side of the runway. The student pilot then reduced power in an attempt to regain directional control of the airplane, but it continued forward until the nose landing gear collapsed and it came to rest in a grassy area to the left of the runway. During the accident sequence, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the firewall and left wing. The student pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The winds reported at the airport about the time of the accident were from 150 degrees at 8 knots.
The student pilot's inadequate use of the rudder, and subsequent loss of directional control.