Piper PA-32R accident near Mitchellville, Maryland, December 30, 1990
On December 30, 1990 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-32R, registered N6945J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mitchellville, Maryland. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91, subpart F). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE CLEARANCE ABOVE AN OBSTACLE AFTER THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 30, 1990 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Mitchellville, Maryland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R · all PA-32Rs on the register
- Registration
- N6945J · registry record · serial 32R-7680391
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91, subpart F)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT BECAUSE OF THE WIND CONDITION, 15 KTS GUST TO 20 KTS, HE USED AN APCH SPEED OF ABOUT 98 TO 102 MPH, INSTEAD OF 87 MPH WHICH HE NORMALLY USES. HE ALSO USED FULL FLAPS. DURING THE APCH THE PLT SIDESLIPPED THE ACFT TO COMPENSATE FOR THE X-WIND. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, THERE WAS A 15 TO 20 FT HIGH DIRTBANK SHORT OF THE RWY, AND WHEN HE FLEW OVER IT, THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT. THE PLT REPORTED THE ACFT ABRUPTLY LOST 30 FT OF ALTITUDE AND AS HE TRIED TO RECOVER, THE R MAIN GEAR STRUCK THE DIRTBANK, SEPARATING THE GEAR FROM THE ACFT. THE ACFT LANDED ON THE RWY AND SLID TO A STOP.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,045 hours in all; 443 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,842 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,053 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 26, 1990; 63 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K165D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ESN Easton MD at 5:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 2,400 ft by 30 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 20 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 22,000 ft; scat at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from BWI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 BFO91LA022.