Cessna 180K accident near Webster, New Hampshire, July 1, 1993
On July 1, 1993 at about 12:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180K, registered N2880K, was destroyed in an accident near Webster, New Hampshire. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION, HIS FAILURE TO ASSURE PROPER WEIGHT AND BALANCE OF THE AIRCRAFT FOR TAKEOFF, AND HIS FAILURE TO OBTAIN AND/OR MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL. A POSSIBLE FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: WATER IN THE RIGHT FLOAT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 1993 · about 12:00 pm local time
- Place
- Webster, New Hampshire
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180K · all 180Ks on the register
- Registration
- N2880K · no longer on the register · serial 180K53116
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM A LAKE, AT ABOUT 40 FEET ABOVE THE LAKE'S SURFACE, THE AIRPLANE STALLED, THEN IMPACTED IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND NOSED OVER. POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES. THE AIRPLANE'S CARGO WEIGHED ABOUT 400 POUNDS. GROSS WEIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE WAS CALCULATED TO BE ABOUT 3450 POUNDS, WHICH WAS ABOUT 630 POUNDS OVER ITS MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT LIMIT. ALSO, AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF WATER WAS FOUND IN THE AFT 3 COMPARTMENTS OF THE RIGHT FLOAT.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 289 hours in all; 47 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 208 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,454 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 24, 1993; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U(6) (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NH at 12:00 pm
- Destination: Quebec, Canada
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 am from CON, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.