Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Westminister, Maryland, April 15, 1995
On April 15, 1995 at about 8:35 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N41767, was substantially damaged in an accident near Westminister, Maryland (Carroll County airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 failure of the flight instructor to take timely remedial action during an approach, resulting in an inadvertent stall, hard landing and subsequent collapse of the landing gear. A factor related to the accident was the flight instructor's lack of instructing experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 1995 · about 8:35 pm local time
- Place
- Westminister, Maryland · Carroll County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N41767 · no longer on the register · serial 28R7435216
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) AND THE DUAL, PRIVATE PILOT STUDENT WERE PRACTICING SIMULATED EMERGENCY LANDINGS TO RUNWAY 34. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR'S WRITTEN STATEMENT, 'DURING THE APPROACH, THE PRIVATE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN A PROPER AIRSPEED ON FINAL.' AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND SUNK, LOSING ALTITUDE RAPIDLY. THE AIRPLANE LANDED EXTREMELY HARD AND THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE REPORTED WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE FROM 310 DEGREES AT 18 KNOTS. ACCORDING TO THE NTSB FORM 6120.1/2, THE CFI'S TOTAL FLIGHT TIME WAS 652 HOURS, OF WHICH 29.5 HOURS WERE IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL AIRPLANE. THE CFI'S TOTAL FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TIME WAS 8.7 HOURS, OF WHICH 3.1 HOURS WERE IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL AIRPLANE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 652 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 562 as pilot in command; 9 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Control Aero
The flight
- Departed from: 2W2 Westminster MD at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 5,200 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 18 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.