Piper PA-34-200 accident near Ocean City, Maryland, October 29, 1988
On October 29, 1988, a Piper PA-34-200, registered N666RW, was destroyed in an accident near Ocean City, Maryland. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE ABOVE THE TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE INATTENTION TO ALTITUDE AND DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS OVER ILLUSIONARY PRODUCING FEATURELESS WATER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 1988
- Place
- Ocean City, Maryland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200 · all PA-34-200s on the register
- Registration
- N666RW · registry record · serial 34-7350064
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES SAW THE ACFT FLYING ABOUT 2 MILES NORTH OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT (OCY) HEADED EAST AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 600 FT AGL. THE ACFT CROSSED THE SHORELINE AND WENT OVER WATER. THE ACFT WAS ABOUT ONE-HALF MILE OFFSHORE WHEN IT TURNED SOUTH. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE ACFT BEGAN DESCENDING WHEN IT TURNED. THE DESCENT CONTINUED UNTIL IT CRASHED INTO THE WATER, ABOUT A MILE NORTHEAST OF OCY. WITNESSES REPORTED HEARING ENGINE SOUNDS THE ENTIRE TIME. WITNESSES ALSO REPORTED DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS EXISTED OVER WATER. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. THE PLT WAS DENIED AN FAA MEDICAL CERTIFICATE IN AUGUST, 1986 BECAUSE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DEFICIENCES. THE PLT'S BODY WAS NOT RECOVERED.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,700 hours in all; 1,850 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,440 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 6, 1987; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MD31 Forest Hill MD at 11:00 pm
- Destination: N80 Ocean City MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO89FA004.