- Date
- October 30, 1990, 13:20 local (18:20 UTC)
- Place
- Elkton, MD
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4321MPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901030047469A
- Case key
- 11621
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
Loss of engine power for an undetermined reason, and the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall and an inflight collision with the terrain.
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 pilot landed on runway 35, back taxied, and then took off. According to him, during climbout at about 200' MSL, the engine suddenly lost power. He attempted a forced landing in an open field, but the airplane stalled and struck the ground about 300' beyond the end of the runway. An examination of the airplane did not disclose evidence of a mechanical malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4321M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8490011
- Airframe hours
- 3,438
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Garden State Flying Service
- Registered owner
- Garden State Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 25, 1990 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- 2N0
- Destination
- 19N · Berlin, NJ
- Airport
- 2N0 · Cecil County, runway 35, 2,600 × 38 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 130 total · 8 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ILG, 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.