Piper PA-46-310P accident near Cambridge, Maryland, March 15, 1995
On March 15, 1995 at about 10:12 am local time, a Piper PA-46-310P, registered N166CP, was destroyed in an accident near Cambridge, Maryland. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the commercial/instrument rated pilot's failure to obtain/maintain adequate altitude/clearance during the initial climb after takeoff. Related factors are the pilot's poor planning/decision making, and the fog.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 1995 · about 10:12 am local time
- Place
- Cambridge, Maryland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-310P · all PA-46-310Ps on the register
- Registration
- N166CP · registry record · serial 46-8408024
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AND CAME TO REST IN A CHURCH YARD. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE CRASH; HOWEVER, SEVERAL LOCAL RESIDENTS HEARD THE AIRPLANE OVERFLY THEIR HOMES AT A LOW ALTITUDE. ONE RESIDENT STATED THAT HE HEARD THE AIRPLANE COLLIDE WITH THE TREES. ANOTHER RESIDENT STATED THAT HE HEARD THE ENGINE OPERATING AS THE AIRPLANE FLEW LOW OVERHEAD. BOTH RESIDENTS REPORTED THAT REDUCED VISIBILITY HAMPERED THEIR ABILITY TO FIND THE WRECKAGE. ONE RESIDENT ESTIMATED THAT THE VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 50 TO 60 FEET. THE PRESCRIBED TAKEOFF MINIMUMS FOR THAT AIRPORT IS 300 FEET AND 1 MILE VISIBILITY. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,089 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 23, 1994; 125 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,118 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-BE (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CGE at 10:05 am
- Destination: MTN Martin State MD
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 0.1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 am from SBY, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 BFO95FA033.