Piper PA-28-161 accident near Newburyport, Massachusetts, January 29, 1994
On January 29, 1994 at about 4:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N2496X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Newburyport, Massachusetts (Plum Island airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot not maintaining clearance from the snowbank during final approach. A factor in this accident was the proximity of the snowbank to the active runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 29, 1994 · about 4:55 pm local time
- Place
- Newburyport, Massachusetts · Plum Island
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N2496X · no longer on the register · serial 28-8516071
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING FINAL APPROACH, HE FLARED PRIOR TO REACHING THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD IN ORDER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FULL LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY. HE EXPECTED TO TOUCH DOWN ON THE NUMBERS. THE PILOT SAID THAT DURING THE FLARE, HE FELT A 'BUMP.' THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A SNOWANK WHICH WAS LOCATED ABOUT 10 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE SNOWBANK MEASURED ABOUT THREE FEET IN HEIGHT. THE PILOT SAID THAT NEITHER HE NOR HIS PILOT RATED PASSENGER SAW THE SNOW BANK.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,267 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 989 as pilot in command; 113 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,086 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 17, 1993; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,447 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LWM Lwrence MA at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 2,520 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 13 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.