Piper PA-28-200 N32975

Summary

On 19 July 1990 at about 21:23 local time, a Piper PA-28-200 registered N32975, operated by Ronald Marien, was involved in an accident near Baltimore, Maryland, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured, 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 July 1990 at 21:23

Classification

Accident

Location

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Martin State (MTN)

Coordinates

39.3293, -76.4299

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-200

Registration

N32975

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Ronald Marien

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gardner → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO90FA064

2 people were seriously injured.

THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE LOSS OF POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE FLIGHT WAS INBOUND TO MTN WHEN ELECTRICAL POWER OCCURRED AND COMMUNICATION WITH ATC WAS LOST. THE PILOT PROCEEDED TO MTN, ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, TO LAND ON RUNWAY 14. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER WHILE HE WAS ON BASE LEG AND THE AIRPLANE CRASHED LESS THAN A MILE FROM THE RUNWAY. A PAX SAID THE PILOT TURNED LEFT TO AVOID ANOTHER JUST BEFORE THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE SAID DURING THE TURN THE AIRPLANE SHAKED. ATC PERSONNEL AT MTN SAID THEY FIRST NOTICED THE AIRPLANE WHEN IT WAS ON BASE LEG, BUT ANOTHER AIRPLANE HAD BEEN CLEARED TO LAND, WHOSE PILOT WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO BREAK OFF THE APPROACH. ATC THEN SAW THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE GO THROUGH THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE, TURN LEFT, AND DESCEND TO THE GROUND. THE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE ALTERNATOR BELT FAILED, ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT DETERMINED IF THE FAILURE OCCURRED PRE OR POST IMPACT. THE ALTERNATOR WAS DAMAGED AND WAS NOT TESTED. THE ALTERNATOR WARNING CIRCUITRY FOR THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL WAS FOUND DEFECTIVE, WHICH DISABLED THE WARNING. MECHANICAL EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.