Piper PA-28-181 accident near Cumberland, Maryland, December 31, 2006
On December 31, 2006 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N348TF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cumberland, Maryland (Greater Cumberland Reg 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudgment of the airplane's distance/altitude during the landing approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 2006 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cumberland, Maryland · Greater Cumberland Reg Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N348TF · no longer on the register · serial 28-7790598
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot/owner of the Piper PA-28-181 turned onto the final leg of the "routine" approach to the runway, with the flaps fully extended and engine power at idle. He noted that he saw four white lights on the precision approach path indicator (PAPI), and about 1/2 miles from the runway threshold, he saw two white and two red lights on the PAPI. The pilot thought that he was "a bit low," but believed the airplane would be able to reach the runway; however, the airplane touched down about 30 feet before the runway threshold. During the landing roll, the nose landing gear struck the edge of the runway pavement and collapsed. The pilot further stated, "What I should have done when it appeared that I was low on [the] approach and getting lower was to add power."
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 130 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CBE Cumberland MD
- Destination: CBE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N348TF 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.