- Date
- October 4, 1985, 19:08 local (23:08 UTC)
- Place
- Gaithersburg, MD
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2106XPiper PA-32RT-300T
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851004077669A
- Case key
- 11195
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt was clrd for a VOR rwy 14 apch. On apch, he rprtd at the sleet intxn (a fix on the NDB apch). The acft was then seen flying ovr the arpt on an easterly hdg. UNICOM operator said he then heard the plt call "turning final." However, bfr lndg, the acft hit trees & crashed aprx .6 mi east of the arpt. No preimpact mechanical problems were fnd. Witnessesestd a 200' ceiling, vis 1/4 to 1/2 mi. A wx study indcd the cld bases were nr 600' MSL, the vis (blo clds) was less 1 mi. Min dscnt alt (mda) & circling min alt for the apch were 1180'. Arpt elev was 540'. Drg arr, bfr reaching the VOR initial apch fix (iaf) (17.3 mi nw of arpt), the bwi ctlr clrd the plt to the min vectoring alt (400' blo the iaf alt), but delayed advising for 8-1/2 min that radar contact was lost. After reaching the iaf, the plt delayed turning outbnd twd the holding pattern. He contd the turn & intercepted the inbnd course for the apch aprx 15 mi nw of the arpt. ARTCC radar (not available to the ctlr) showed the acft tracked rgt of course until contact was lost aprx 4 mi nw of arpt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2106X
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32RT-300T (PA-32RT-30)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 79-87121
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- William P. Mcintosh
- Registered owner
- Deb. Co. Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 1984 · 19 hours before
- Departed
- BED · Bedford, MA
- Destination
- GAI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- GAI · Montgomery County, runway 14, 4,235 × 73 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 905 total · 232 in this make and model · 768 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft overcast
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.