- Date
- August 26, 2011, 07:00 local (11:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gaithersburg, MD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N3020MPiper PA-44-180
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 27, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110826022069A
- Case key
- 81749
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
The pilot's decision to continue taxiing with restricted windshield visibility.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was taxiing to the active runway for takeoff when the windshield became foggy and he missed the left turn to the runway. The airplane exited the taxiway onto a grassy area, the pilot then turned left, and the airplane slid down a hill. The airplane's right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was taxiing to the active runway for takeoff, when the windshield started to fog and he missed the left turn to the runway. The airplane exited the taxiway onto a grassy area, and the pilot then turned left; however, the airplane began to slide down a hill. The airplane's right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing impacted the ground, which resulted in damage to the right wing spar. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. He reported 1,400 hours of total flight experience, which included 96 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3020M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-44-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 44-7995220
- Airframe hours
- 7,607
- Engines
- Lycoming O-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming O-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Washington Int'l Flight Academy, LLC
- Registered owner
- Morgan Edward T
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 11, 2011 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- GAI · Gaithersburg, MD
- Destination
- GAI · Gaithersburg, MD
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- GAI · Montgomery County, runway 14, 4,202 × 75 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
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,400 total · 96 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- GAI
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 9, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 MB in all.
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 N3020M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.