Piper PA-32-260 accident near Gaithersburg, Maryland, August 9, 1996
On August 9, 1996 at about 9:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-260, registered N1439T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gaithersburg, Maryland (Gaithersburg airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the unexpected appearance of a deer on the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 1996 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Gaithersburg, Maryland · Gaithersburg
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N1439T · no longer on the register · serial 32-7200039
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff roll, the pilot took his eyes off the runway to scan his airspeed. At about 75 to 80 kts, he began to rotate, then he heard a loud bang. The aircraft pitched up 7 to 8 degrees and the stall warning light illuminated. The pilot was able to control the aircraft and returned to the airport, where he landed without further incident. Investigation revealed the aircraft sustained substantial damage when it struck a deer.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,162 hours in all; 1,452 in this make and model; 138 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 4,230 as pilot in command; 332 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,588 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 30, 1996; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-E4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GAI at 9:42 pm
- Destination: RIC Richmond VA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 4,196 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.