# Accident 19971004030069A: Piper PA32260, College Park, MD, October 4, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 4, 1997, 08:40 local time
- Place: College Park, MD
- Airport: College Park Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.9907° N, 76.9310° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.9907&lon=-76.9310&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7730J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7730J-1999-04-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-260 (registry code 7103206, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-260) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32260
- Reported engine: LYC O540E4B5
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 200 total, 6 in this make and model, 1 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD98FA001](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98FA001) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971004030069A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PORPOISED DOWN THE RUNWAY AFTER LANDING, STRUCK METRO TRACKS AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. (.4) THE PILOT REMARKED THAT ALL SYSTEMS ON THE AIRPLANE WERE FULLY OPERATIONAL AND THE FLIGHT TO HIS DESTINATION WENT UNEVENTFULLY. HE DESCENDED TO 1,500 FEET MSL AND ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN ON THE DOWNWIND LEG. HE SELECTED 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS ON BASE LEG, AND WHILE CROSSING THE 194 FOOT DISPLACED THRESHOLD FOR THE 2,610 FOOT RUNWAY, NOTICED THAT THE AIRSPEED WAS SLOW. DURING THE FLAIR FOR LANDING, THE PILOT CLOSED THE THROTTLE, AND REMEMBERED ROLLING OUT ON THE GRASS NEXT TO THE RUNWAY. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REMAIN PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT ABORTED THE LANDING. THE AIRPLANE ACCELERATED AFTER RAISING THE FLAPS, AND ONCE AIRBORNE, THE PILOT RECALLED `THE AIRPLANE DID NOT SEEM TO CLIMB, AND THE ENGINE SOUNDED CORRECT FOR FULL POWER.' THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, WINGS ROCKING AS IT IMPACTED A 20 FOOT HIGH EMBANKMENT AT THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY. NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB IAD98FA001](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98FA001), Oct 4, 1997: Piper PA-32-260 (N7730J), College Park, MD, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot failed to maintain control of the airplane during landing rollout and his delayed decision to abort the landing.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.