Piper PA-28-140 accident near Farmington, Maryland, June 9, 1990
On June 9, 1990 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N3456K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Farmington, Maryland (Rising Sun airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
STUDENT PILOT'S MISJUDGED APPROACH TO LANDING AND THE INSTRUCTOR'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 1990 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Farmington, Maryland · Rising Sun · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N3456K · no longer on the register · serial 28-23564
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER A BRIEF LOCAL FLIGHT, THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT TO PRACTICE LANDINGS. THEY WERE TRAINING WITH SEVERAL OF THE FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS COVERED, INCLUDING THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR AND THE VERTICAL VELOCITY INDICATOR. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATED THAT THE STUDENT ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO GET TOO LOW AND SLOW DURING THE APPROACH. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT AS HE REACHED FORWARD TO TAKE OVER THE CONTROLS, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT AND SANK INTO THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED AN EMBANKMENT SHORT OF 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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,208 hours in all; 155 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 2,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,072 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 26, 1990; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 1,640 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from 1LG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
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.