Piper 601P accident near Indian Head, Maryland, August 21, 1986
On August 21, 1986 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Piper 601P, registered N9756Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Indian Head, Maryland (Maryland Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 1986 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Indian Head, Maryland · Maryland Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper 601P
- Registration
- N9756Q · no longer on the register · serial 61P-0374-121
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE OWNER OF THE AEROSTAR 601P WAS FLYING HIS FAMILY AND A FRIEND FROM BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS TO INDIAN HEAD, MARYLAND. AFTER MONITORING THE DCA ATIS HE ELECTED TO MAKE AN ILS TO FORT BELVOIR, VIRGINIA, BREAK OFF THE MISSED APPROACH AND PROCEED VFR OVER TO MARYLAND AIRPORT FOR A LANDING. HE STATED THAT HE SAW THE RUNWAY FROM A RIGHT BASE POSITION AND TURNED ONTO FINAL FOR RUNWAY 17. AFTER FLARING FOR LANDING THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT GEAR COLLAPSED AS DID THE NOSE GEAR AS THE AIRCRAFT SLID DOWN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST ABOUT 1000 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,485 hours in all; 1,342 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 3,310 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,539 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 24, 1986; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,700 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-S1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BED Bedford MA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 900 ft; scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from DAA, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N9756Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.