Piper PA-28-200 accident near Baltimore, Maryland, July 19, 1990
On July 19, 1990 at about 9:23 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-200, registered N32975, was destroyed in an accident near Baltimore, Maryland (Martin State airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE LOSS OF POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 1990 · about 9:23 pm local time
- Place
- Baltimore, Maryland · Martin State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-200 · all PA-28-200s on the register
- Registration
- N32975 · no longer on the register · serial 7535102
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT WAS INBOUND TO MTN WHEN ELECTRICAL POWER OCCURRED AND COMMUNICATION WITH ATC WAS LOST. THE PILOT PROCEEDED TO MTN, ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, TO LAND ON RUNWAY 14. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER WHILE HE WAS ON BASE LEG AND THE AIRPLANE CRASHED LESS THAN A MILE FROM THE RUNWAY. A PAX SAID THE PILOT TURNED LEFT TO AVOID ANOTHER JUST BEFORE THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE SAID DURING THE TURN THE AIRPLANE SHAKED. ATC PERSONNEL AT MTN SAID THEY FIRST NOTICED THE AIRPLANE WHEN IT WAS ON BASE LEG, BUT ANOTHER AIRPLANE HAD BEEN CLEARED TO LAND, WHOSE PILOT WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO BREAK OFF THE APPROACH. ATC THEN SAW THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE GO THROUGH THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE, TURN LEFT, AND DESCEND TO THE GROUND. THE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE ALTERNATOR BELT FAILED, ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT DETERMINED IF THE FAILURE OCCURRED PRE OR POST IMPACT. THE ALTERNATOR WAS DAMAGED AND WAS NOT TESTED. THE ALTERNATOR WARNING CIRCUITRY FOR THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL WAS FOUND DEFECTIVE, WHICH DISABLED THE WARNING. MECHANICAL EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,078 hours in all; 1,022 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 1,004 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,956 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 11, 1990; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GDM Gardner MA at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14, 6,996 ft by 180 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from MTN, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.
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.