Cessna 152 N4823B accident near Indian Head, Maryland

Probable cause

The pilot's loss of control while landing in gusting crosswind conditions.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot, he received a weather briefing that stated there was a convective SIGMET (significant meteorological information) over the airport and the storm would be arriving in about one hour. After receiving the briefing, the pilot performed a preflight check on the airplane, and proceeded to take off on a local solo flight. The pilot stated that during different phases of each traffic pattern, he had difficulty due to the gusty wind conditions. After initiating a go-around on the original departure runway, the pilot elected to set up for a long approach to a different runway. While on final approach, the airplane encountered gusty conditions and the pilot attempted to compensate for a crosswind. During touchdown, the airplane bounced several times, overran the end of the runway, and collided with a small ditch resulting in damage to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane. The recorded wind conditions about the time of the accident at an airport 8 miles away indicated a velocity of 10 knots, gusting to 18 knots.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA10CA369 for the full record.