- Date
- June 17, 1986, 13:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Edgewater, MD
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6959WPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860617087139A
- Case key
- 11211
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
Witnesses indicated that the engine sounded normal during takeoff run but started to lose power shortly after liftoff. The aircraft departed on runway 30 at lee airport, annapolis, MD. The runway is 2400 feet long and beards creek is located about 200 feet off its departure end. The aircraft was observed to make a steep 180 degree right turn over the departure end of the runway with the right wing contacting the ground followed by the nose. Although examination of the engine did not disclose any malfunctions, water was found in the fuel tanks. Investigation revealed that the pilot was known to frequently use auto fuel in his aircraft and that the aircraft had been approved to use unleaded automotive fuel in accordance with STC SA802GL. The plts plt log books were not recovered for flt time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6959W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-21152
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Mark Leo Lear
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 11, 1985
- Destination
- WOO · Mitchellville, MD
- Airport
- ANP · Lee Airport, runway 30, 2,400 × 50 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BWI, 15 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N6959W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.