- Date
- June 5, 2026, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Westminster, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5081ZPiper PA-22-108
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 3, 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
- 20260605007649A
- Case key
- 203192
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 airplane control during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with terrain.
Findings · 2
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
According to the pilot, shortly after rotation during takeoff the airplane suddenly turned to the left and departed the runway. The pilot immediately reduced engine power and attempted to steer the airplane toward an open field. The right wingtip subsequently struck a wall of terrain adjacent to the runway and the right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Additionally, a postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies of the flight control system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5081Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-108
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-8712
- Built
- 1961
- Airframe hours
- 1,198
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1B, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 8, 2026 · 11 hours before
- Destination
- 2W2 · Westminster, MD
- Airport
- DMW · Carroll County Rgnl/Jack B Poage Fld, runway 16/34, 5,100 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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
- 86
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Private, Foreign
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 29, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,120 total · 358 in this make and model · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KCGS, 4 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KCGS 051455Z AUTO 01004KT 10SM CLR 29/13 A3007 RMK AO2 T02900133
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 3, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 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 N5081Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.