Piper PA-31-310 accident near Stevensville, Maryland, May 24, 1996
On May 24, 1996 at about 2:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-310, registered N103RW, was destroyed in an accident near Stevensville, Maryland. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 7 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper short field takeoff/procedure and selection of the wrong runway for takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 1996 · about 2:55 pm local time
- Place
- Stevensville, Maryland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 7 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-310 · all PA-31-310s on the register
- Registration
- N103RW · registry record · serial 31-223
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he ran the engines to full power before releasing the brakes. Immediately after lift-off, when he retracted the landing gear, he noticed a dramatic loss of airspeed. The airplane began to rock back and forth, and the pilot's efforts to increase the airspeed including lowering the nose and adding full power was unsuccessful. According to the Piper Information Manual for a short field takeoff, a lift-off speed of 85 mph and 15 degree of flaps is required. The reported winds were 010 degrees at 7 knots. The pilot departed runway 29 which is 2910 feet long. A witness who was refueling an airplane on the ramp stated that the airplane was still on the runway at the 500 foot mark from the end of runway 29.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,812 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 13, 1996; 101 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W29 MD at 2:45 pm
- Destination: LCI Laconia NH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from BWI, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N103RW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.