What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative of flight:
On June 20, 2026, at approximately 16:30 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 departed montgomery county airpark (gai) in gaithersburg, Maryland, bound for ocean city municipal airport (26N) in ocean city, new jersey. The flight was conducted by a private pilot accompanied by two student pilot passengers. The initial leg of the flight concluded with a routine landing at 17:41 EDT. At 21:28 EDT, the aircraft departed 26N to conduct three-night touch-and-go landings to satisfy the pilot's night landing currency requirements, landing at 21:44 EDT. The return flight to gai commenced at 22:10 EDT under night visual meteorological conditions (VMC).
During the return leg, the aircraft climbed to a cruise altitude of approximately 8,600 feet mean sea level (MSL) before descending to 2,000 feet MSL approximately 40 miles into the flight. At 23:26 EDT, the aircraft entered a slow, continuous descent. While receiving air traffic control (ATC) flight-following services in the vicinity of fort meade, Maryland, the pilot transmitted a partially unintelligible radio call ("...we are close to kfme"), set the transponder to emergency code 7700, and requested vectors to freeway airport (W00), Maryland. At 23:28 EDT, the pilot reported that the diversion airport was not in sight, and radar contact was lost shortly thereafter. The aircraft subsequently impacted a heavily wooded area in Bowie, Maryland, resulting in fatal injuries to all three occupants. Substantial structural damage to the aircraft, including the separation of the wings and stabilizer, and a crushed cockpit.
Operational fuel management:
According to the pilot's roommate, who was operating a separate aircraft several minutes ahead of the accident aircraft, the pilot was aware prior to departing kgai that the fueling station at 26N would be closed upon arrival. Despite this awareness, the pilot initiated the night return flight without securing supplementary fuel or establishing a viable contingency fuel plan. This omission resulted in the complete depletion of the right-wing fuel tank. During the flight, the pilot neglected to switch the fuel selector to the left-wing tank, which post-accident examination revealed contained 10.5 gallons of fuel an amount sufficient to complete the flight to the intended destination.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE OF FLIGHT:
ON JUNE 20, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 16:30 LOCAL TIME, A PIPER PA-28-181 DEPARTED MONTGOMERY COUNTY AIRPARK (GAI) IN GAITHERSBURG, MARYLAND, BOUND FOR OCEAN CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (26N) IN OCEAN CITY, NEW JERSEY. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT ACCOMPANIED BY TWO STUDENT PILOT PASSENGERS. THE INITIAL LEG OF THE FLIGHT CONCLUDED WITH A ROUTINE LANDING AT 17:41 EDT. AT 21:28 EDT, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED 26N TO CONDUCT THREE-NIGHT TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS TO SATISFY THE PILOT'S NIGHT LANDING CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS, LANDING AT 21:44 EDT. THE RETURN FLIGHT TO GAI COMMENCED AT 22:10 EDT UNDER NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC).
DURING THE RETURN LEG, THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 8,600 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) BEFORE DESCENDING TO 2,000 FEET MSL APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES INTO THE FLIGHT. AT 23:26 EDT, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A SLOW, CONTINUOUS DESCENT. WHILE RECEIVING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) FLIGHT-FOLLOWING SERVICES IN THE VICINITY OF FORT MEADE, MARYLAND, THE PILOT TRANSMITTED A PARTIALLY UNINTELLIGIBLE RADIO CALL ("...WE ARE CLOSE TO KFME"), SET THE TRANSPONDER TO EMERGENCY CODE 7700, AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO FREEWAY AIRPORT (W00), MARYLAND. AT 23:28 EDT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE DIVERSION AIRPORT WAS NOT IN SIGHT, AND RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED A HEAVILY WOODED AREA IN BOWIE, MARYLAND, RESULTING IN FATAL INJURIES TO ALL THREE OCCUPANTS. SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, INCLUDING THE SEPARATION OF THE WINGS AND STABILIZER, AND A CRUSHED COCKPIT.
OPERATIONAL FUEL MANAGEMENT:
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S ROOMMATE, WHO WAS OPERATING A SEPARATE AIRCRAFT SEVERAL MINUTES AHEAD OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT WAS AWARE PRIOR TO DEPARTING KGAI THAT THE FUELING STATION AT 26N WOULD BE CLOSED UPON ARRIVAL. DESPITE THIS AWARENESS, THE PILOT INITIATED THE NIGHT RETURN FLIGHT WITHOUT SECURING SUPPLEMENTARY FUEL OR ESTABLISHING A VIABLE CONTINGENCY FUEL PLAN. THIS OMISSION RESULTED IN THE COMPLETE DEPLETION OF THE RIGHT-WING FUEL TANK. DURING THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT NEGLECTED TO SWITCH THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT-WING TANK, WHICH POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED CONTAINED 10.5 GALLONS OF FUEL AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO COMPLETE THE FLIGHT TO THE INTENDED DESTINATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.