Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Oakland, Maryland, September 20, 1994
On September 20, 1994 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N2815T, was destroyed in an accident near Oakland, Maryland (Garrett County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation in which the pilot attempted a high density altitude takeoff, up-slope, with the airplane over the maximum allowable gross weight, utilizing a rolling takeoff technique with an improper flap setting. This resulted in an inadvertent mush into trees during the initial climb.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 1994 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Oakland, Maryland · Garrett County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N2815T · registry record · serial 28R-7235138
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT/OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE AND THREE OTHER PILOTS WERE PLANNING TO FLY TO AN AVIATION SAFETY MEETING. A PREFLIGHT WAS COMPLETED AND FUEL SAMPLES WERE TAKEN. AFTER THE RUN-UP, FLAPS WERE SET TO 10 DEGREES AND FULL POWER WAS APPLIED DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. THE AIRPLANE ROTATED NEAR THE END OF THE 3,000 FOOT RUNWAY, CLIMBED ABOUT 40 FEET AND SETTLED DOWN INTO THE TREES. THE PILOT STATED THAT NO DEFICIENCIES WERE NOTED WITH THE ENGINE AND AIRPLANE DURING THE TAKEOFF. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 175 POUNDS OVER THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT AT TAKEOFF, THE AIRPORT DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS 4,500 FEET, AND THE TAKEOFF RUNWAY HAD A 0.5% UP-SLOPE GRADE. THE PILOT'S OPERATING MANUAL SPECIFIES A 25 DEGREE FLAP SETTING, WITH FULL POWER APPLIED BEFORE BRAKE RELEASE, FOR AN OBSTACLE CLEARANCE TAKEOFF.
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
- Flight time: 494 hours in all; 465 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 494 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,153 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 13, 1993; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2G4 at 10:00 pm
- Destination: MGW Morgantown WV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:47 pm from MRB, 64 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 NYC94LA180.