Piper PA-28-140 accident near Baltimore, Maryland, May 27, 1997
On May 27, 1997, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N6927W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Baltimore, Maryland (Martin State 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 inadequate preflight of the airplane which failed to detect water in the fuel, and resulted in a power loss after departure due to fuel contamination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 1997
- Place
- Baltimore, Maryland · Martin State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N6927W · no longer on the register · serial 28-21102
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After takeoff, at an altitude of about 300 feet AGL, the engine lost power. The pilot turned the airplane 30 degrees left and landed on the grass near the runway. During the ground roll, the airplane went through a ditch and struck a chain link fence. The airplane was secured by emergency personnel who drained the fuel tanks. The next morning the pilot checked the airplane and found the fuel tanks empty. He drained the main sump and only water was found. The pilot reported that the day prior to the accident it had rained hard all day, and the airplane was tied down outside. He also reported that he did not drain the tanks before the flight.
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: 900 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,899 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 4, 1996; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTN
- Destination: W29 Stevensville MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 6,996 ft by 180 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
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.