Piper PA-34-200 N666RW

Summary

On 29 October 1988 at about 00:40 local time, a Piper PA-34-200 registered N666RW was involved in an accident near Ocean City, Maryland, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 October 1988 at 00:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Ocean City, Maryland, United States

Coordinates

38.3492, -75.1298

Aircraft

Piper PA-34-200

Registration

N666RW

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Forest Hill → Ocean City

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

BFO89FA004

3 people died.

THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE CLEARANCE ABOVE THE TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE INATTENTION TO ALTITUDE AND DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS OVER ILLUSIONARY PRODUCING FEATURELESS WATER.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

WITNESSES SAW THE ACFT FLYING ABOUT 2 MILES NORTH OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT (OCY) HEADED EAST AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 600 FT AGL. THE ACFT CROSSED THE SHORELINE AND WENT OVER WATER. THE ACFT WAS ABOUT ONE-HALF MILE OFFSHORE WHEN IT TURNED SOUTH. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE ACFT BEGAN DESCENDING WHEN IT TURNED. THE DESCENT CONTINUED UNTIL IT CRASHED INTO THE WATER, ABOUT A MILE NORTHEAST OF OCY. WITNESSES REPORTED HEARING ENGINE SOUNDS THE ENTIRE TIME. WITNESSES ALSO REPORTED DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS EXISTED OVER WATER. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. THE PLT WAS DENIED AN FAA MEDICAL CERTIFICATE IN AUGUST, 1986 BECAUSE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DEFICIENCES. THE PLT'S BODY WAS NOT RECOVERED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.