No fatalities

PIPER PA-24-180 accident at Leonardtown, MD, 11 Mar 2026

Leonardtown, MD, United States

On March 11, 2026, a PIPER PA-24-180 was involved in an aviation accident near Leonardtown, MD. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain control during a crosswind takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a drainage ditch. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 7 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain control during a crosswind takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a drainage ditch.

— NTSB Determination

Contributing factors

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintainedResponse/compensation