- Date
- July 31, 1989, 01:08 local (05:08 UTC)
- Place
- College Park, MD
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N64MBPiper PA-28R-201T
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890731025589A
- Case key
- 11469
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Failure of the pilot to maintain aircraft control due to spatial disorientation, and his exceeding the design stress limits of the aircraft, which resulted in overload failure of the stabilators and wings. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's failure to follow procedures/directives, his lack of recent instrument experience, excessive gross weight of the aircraft allowed by the pilot, dark night, and adverse weather conditions.
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 & passengers were returning from an evening x-country flt with the flt operating in IMC, forecasted to contain rain showers & thunderstorms. Subsequently, the acft crashed after an in-flt breakup. An investigation revealed the horizontal stabilator, then the outboard portion of both wings had failed in a down & aft direction. The stabilator and portions of the wings were found about 1200' from the fuselage. Radar data indicated the acft had entered an increasing left descending turn, followed by a rapid descent rate just before ground impact. The acft's gross weight was estimated to be about 3000 lbs. Its maximum certified gross weight was 2900 lbs. A review of the plt's log indicated that he had obtained one hour of instrument flight time & one instrument approach in the previous six months.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64MB
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-201T (PA-28R-201)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7803323
- Airframe hours
- 1,433
- Engine
- Continental TIO-360-FB, 201 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Archer Assoc. Inc, doing business as Same
- Registered owner
- Archer Assoc. Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 1989 · 84 hours before
- Departed
- AIY · Atlantic City, NJ
- Destination
- W10 · Manassas, VA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 274 total · 137 in this make and model · 192 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BWI, 12 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.