Summary
On July 31, 1989, a Piper PA-28R-201T (N64MB) was involved in an accident near College Park, MD. The accident resulted in 4 fatal injuries. The aircraft was destroyed.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, AND HIS EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH RESULTED IN OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE STABILATORS AND WINGS. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES/DIRECTIVES, HIS LACK OF RECENT INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, EXCESSIVE GROSS WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT ALLOWED BY THE PILOT, DARK NIGHT, AND ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
This accident is documented in NTSB report BFO89FA065. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N64MB.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, AND HIS EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH RESULTED IN OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE STABILATORS AND WINGS. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES/DIRECTIVES, HIS LACK OF RECENT INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, EXCESSIVE GROSS WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT ALLOWED BY THE PILOT, DARK NIGHT, AND ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# BFO89FA065