Incident Overview · Aviation Crash
Memorial Stadium Post-Game Plane Crash
On 19 December 1976, a Piper Cherokee flown by Donald N. Kroner struck the upper deck of Baltimore Memorial Stadium shortly after the Steelers-Colts playoff game. Official aviation records support the crash, aircraft identity, and pilot judgement findings, while injury reporting remains inconsistent.
What Happened
Core Details
- Date
- 19 December 1976
- Location
- Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Incident Name
- Memorial Stadium Post-Game Plane Crash
- Reported Injuries
- Conflicting: pilot only vs pilot and three police officers
- Reported Fatalities
- No fatalities found in reviewed sources
Core Finding
Known Position
A Piper PA-28 / Piper Cherokee, registration N6276J, made low passes over Baltimore Memorial Stadium after the Colts-Steelers playoff game and then struck the upper deck.
The NTSB probable cause centres on pilot poor judgement and misjudging distance, speed, altitude, or clearance. The FAA administrative record also describes low passes below 100 feet before the aircraft went into the stands.
The crash itself is well supported by official aviation and administrative records. The injury picture is the weak point: press accounts describe four injured people, while official records are awkward and do not clearly support that same tally.
Quick View
Incident Highlights
Chronology
Known Sequence
Game ends
The AFC divisional playoff game between Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Colts finishes at Memorial Stadium.
Low passes over stadium
FAA administrative records say Kroner flew a Piper Cherokee over the stadium and made two low passes below 100 feet.
Aircraft enters the stadium area
Official records describe the aircraft being operated into the stands after an attempted landing or go-around inside the stadium environment.
Impact into upper deck
The plane struck the upper deck / stands, with several later reports placing the impact near the south end-zone area.
Official findings follow
The NTSB identified pilot judgement and misjudged clearance as probable cause factors.
Operational Picture
Reliability Snapshot
NTSB and aviation database sources identify Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee N6276J.
Sources consistently place the crash at Baltimore Memorial Stadium, with venue records supporting the 33rd Street location.
NTSB probable cause and FAA record both support pilot judgement / clearance issues.
Press accounts and official records do not line up cleanly on who was injured.
The crash and aircraft details are solid. The injury count is not. Treat “four injured” as press-supported but disputed against official record wording.
Conflicting Information
Disputed Details
Disputed Detail
Number and identity of injured persons
Press and retrospective sources say Kroner and three police officers were injured. Official records do not clearly match that account.
Washington Post and Statter911 support a total of four injuries: the pilot and three police officers.
The FAA decision says it was fortunate no one except Kroner was injured. The NTSB injury table is also awkward because it lists a passenger injury category despite one occupant.
Editorial note: use “conflicting reporting” rather than a fixed injury total unless a primary source settles it.
Disputed Detail
Impact detail and exact section
Sources broadly agree the aircraft struck the upper deck / stands, but exact section-level detail was not verified from a directly opened primary source.
Multiple sources support upper deck, stands, and south end-zone wording.
Search snippets referenced “Section 41,” but this was not verified from a directly accessible primary source in the supplied research.
Editorial note: keep section-level wording out unless a stronger source is added.
Unverified Details
Exact section
Exact section number of impact was not verified from a directly opened primary source.
Officer names
Exact names of all three reported injured police officers were not verified from a directly accessible primary source.
Name spelling
Whether Joe Sacco or Joe Scacco is the correct spelling was not settled by the reviewed material.
Contemporary articles
Several likely contemporary newspaper articles were not included because direct working pages were not available.
Source Base
References
Falsehood Charge for Pilot
19 August 1983
States that Donald Kroner crashed his Piper Cherokee into the upper deck of Memorial Stadium in 1976 and that Kroner and three police officers were injured. Also notes later legal action and earlier reckless-flying conviction.
Visit Source →40-years-ago: Plane crashes into Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium after Colts game hitting police officer
19 December 2016
Retrospective account stating the crash occurred about 10 minutes after the game ended, that Officer Joe Sacco was hit by the aircraft, and that three police officers were injured.
Visit Source →Plane Crashes Into Memorial Stadium, 1976
11 November 2013
Retrospective post saying the crash happened on 19 December 1976 about 10 minutes after a Steelers-Colts game, and reproducing New York Times material about Donald Kroner being treated at Union Memorial Hospital.
Visit Source →Accident Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee N6276J, Sunday 19 December 1976
No page date stated
Identifies the aircraft as Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee N6276J, location Baltimore, Maryland, 0 fatalities, and describes the pilot trying to land on the pitch before stalling into the stands.
Visit Source →The time a PLANE CRASHED into the Colts’ stadium after a playoff game | The Colts Show
10 February 2026
Team media episode description saying John Ziemann witnessed a small propeller plane crash into Memorial Stadium’s upper deck after the playoff loss to Pittsburgh. It states the pilot escaped with minor injuries and no fans were injured.
Visit Source →Maryland Stadium Authority - Origin & Functions
No page date stated
Official state reference noting Memorial Stadium was at 33rd Street in northeast Baltimore. Used for location confirmation, not casualty detail.
Visit Source →Memorial Stadium (Baltimore) History
No page date stated
Venue reference listing Memorial Stadium at 900 East 33rd Street, Baltimore, Maryland. Used for address confirmation.
Visit Source →Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
No page date stated
Venue history stating Memorial Stadium was located at 900 East 33rd Street in Baltimore. Used for address confirmation.
Visit Source →NTSB Identification: DCA77AA008
Investigation record; accident date 19 December 1976
Official NTSB brief identifying aircraft N6276J, location Baltimore, time 17:07, substantial damage, and probable cause as poor judgment and misjudged distance, speed, altitude, or clearance.
Visit Source →Order and Decision of John L. McLucas, Administrator, FAA v. Donald N. Kroner
1977 revocation proceeding
Administrative decision finding that Kroner flew a Piper Cherokee N6276J over Baltimore Memorial Stadium, made two low passes below 100 feet, and operated the aircraft into the stands.
Visit Source →Open Sources
