Piper PA-28-180 accident near Friendly, Maryland, April 28, 2021
On April 28, 2021 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1974 Piper PA-28-180, registered N32592, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Friendly, Maryland (Potomac Airfield). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to attain a proper touchdown point on landing, which resulted in a collision with the runway lip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2021 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Friendly, Maryland · Potomac Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180, built 1974 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N32592 · registry record · serial 28-7505075
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he had a higher-than-normal sink rate on final approach. The airplane landed short, and the left main landing gear struck the lip of the runway. The airplane bounced, then settled back on the runway, and the left wing dropped. The airplane veered off the runway into the grass and the left landing gear fully collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot said that he was carrying two passengers and did not consider the extra weight in the airplane, and that he should have added power sooner to arrest the sink rate.
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
- Landing area undershoot during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 458 hours in all; 35 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 15, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,657.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 8, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 3,570 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EXF Fredricksburg VA at 6:45 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 06/2, 2,665 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from KADW, 6 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KADW 281956Z AUTO 24007KT 10SM FEW200 29/12 A2984 RMK AO2 SLP109 T02940123 FZRANO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 24, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Summary of Email - FAA and Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.