Socata TBM 700 accident near Gaithersburg, Maryland, March 1, 2010
On March 1, 2010 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Socata TBM 700, registered N700ZR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Gaithersburg, Maryland (Montgomery Country Airpark airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control while performing a go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 2010 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Gaithersburg, Maryland · Montgomery Country Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Socata TBM 700 · all TBM 700s on the register
- Registration
- N700ZR · no longer on the register · serial 87
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the single-engine turboprop was on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight and cancelled his IFR flight plan after being cleared for a visual approach to the destination airport. He flew a left traffic pattern for runway 32, a 4,202-foot-long, 75-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot reported that the airplane crossed the runway threshold at 81 knots and touched down normally, with the stall warning horn sounding. The airplane subsequently drifted left and the pilot attempted to correct with right rudder input; however, the airplane continued to drift to the left side of the runway. The pilot then initiated a go-around and cognizant of risk of torque roll at low speeds did not apply full power. The airplane climbed to about 10 feet above the ground. At that time, the airplane was in a 20-degree left bank and the pilot applied full right aileron input to correct. The airplane then descended in a left turn, the pilot retarded the throttle, and braced for impact. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that the airplane traveled about 100 feet off the left side of the runway, nosed down in mud, and came to rest in trees. Examination of the wreckage by the inspector did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any. The reported wind, about the time of the accident, was from 310 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,215 hours in all; 1,240 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 4,080 as pilot in command; 169 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 4, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,968 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 13, 2009; 137 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,579 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A SER (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IGX Chapel Hill NC at 9:15 pm
- Destination: GAI Gaithersburg MD
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 4,202 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,700 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 pm from GAI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.
