Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Gaithersburg, Maryland, May 15, 2003
On May 15, 2003 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N1514X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gaithersburg, Maryland (Montgomery County Airpark airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed, resulting in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2003 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Gaithersburg, Maryland · Montgomery County Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N1514X · registry record · serial 28R-7535305
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on the final approach leg of a simulated forced landing, the airspeed began to decrease to 70 mph, and the pilot added power. About 1/4-mile short of the runway, the airspeed decreased to 60 mph, "presumably because of loss of 10 knot headwind," and the airplane stalled. The airplane descended into a grass field short of the runway, and came to rest upright. The winds recorded at a nearby airport, about the time of the accident, were from 040 degrees at 5 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 360 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 295 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 14, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GAI Gaithersburg MD at 3:20 pm
- Destination: GAI Gaithersburg MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 4,201 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 5:03 pm from FDK, 18 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 NYC03LA108.