- Date
- March 11, 2026, 16:10 local (20:10 UTC)
- Place
- Leonardtown, MD
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7573PPiper PA24-180
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260311001819A
- Case key
- 202643
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 failure to maintain control during a crosswind takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a drainage ditch.
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 was departing in wind conditions that included a 90-degree left crosswind at a reported velocity of 9 knots and gusts up to 19 knots. The pilot stated that the airplane veered left as soon as the wheels lifted off the ground and that his control inputs were ineffective at correcting the airplane’s heading. The pilot reduced engine power and landed on the grass adjacent to the runway, where the airplane impacted a drainage ditch, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. A postaccident examination of the flight controls and landing gear by maintenance personnel revealed that there was no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation, nor did the pilot report any.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7573P
- Reported as
- Piper PA24-180 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-2783
- Built
- 1961
- Airframe hours
- 3,603.2
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 12, 2025
- Destination
- MVF · Accomack, VA
- Airport
- 2W6 · St Mary's County Regional Airport, runway 29, 5,350 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B
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
- 74
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 17, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,835 total · 398 in this make and model · 1,753 as pilot in command · 53 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 9 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- NHK, 6 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KNHK 111952Z 20009G19KT 10SM FEW100 FEW200 29/16 A2979 RMK AO2 SLP087 T02940161 $
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 9, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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 N7573P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.