Amateur-built DHC-7-102 accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 5, 1993
On March 5, 1993 at about 9:40 pm local time, a amateur-built DHC-7-102, registered N175RA, was involved in an accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 1 person was seriously injured; 11 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN ENCOUNTER WITH TURBULENCE DURING FINAL APPROACH. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THAT THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT WAS NOT SEATED WITH A SEAT BELT FASTENED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 1993 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Philadelphia Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 11 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-7-102
- Registration
- N175RA · registry record
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE COMMUTER FLIGHT WAS ON FINAL APPROACH WHEN IT ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE THAT THE CAPTAIN REPORTED AS 'MODERATE.' DURING THE ENCOUNTER, A FLIGHT ATTENDANT FELL AS SHE WAS MAKING HER FINAL ROUND IN THE CABIN BEFORE THE LANDING.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,635 hours in all; 1,572 in this make and model; 184 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 4,453 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 44,000 lb
- Seats: 59
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-50 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JFK New York NY at 8:00 pm
- Destination: PHL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 5,460 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft; not recorded at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from PHL, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 2 | ||
| Passengers | 9 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N175RA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO93LA048.