Piper PA-28 accident near Morriston, Florida, July 21, 1993
On July 21, 1993 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28, registered N5096W, was destroyed in an accident near Morriston, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
VFR FLIGHT BY THE PILOT(S) INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ALTITUDE (OR CLEARANCE) FROM THE TOWER. THE PROXIMITY OF THE TOWER/GUY WIRES AND WEATHER CONDITION WERE RELATED FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 1993 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Morriston, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28 · all PA-28s on the register
- Registration
- N5096W · no longer on the register · serial 28-108
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
FLIGHT FOLLOWING WAS CANCELLED AFTER A CREWMEMBER ADVISED THE ARTCC CONTROLLER THAT THE FLIGHT WAS DESCENDING FROM 2500 TO 1500 FEET. THE CONTROLLER ADVISED THE CREW THAT RADAR SERVICE WAS TERMINATED, AND THE CREW ACKNOWLEDGED. A WITNESS REPORTED LOW CLOUDS AND FOG NEAR THE ANTENNA. HE SAW THE AIRPLANE EMERGE FROM CLOUDS ON A NORTHWESTERLY HEADING. HE REPORTED THE AIRPLANE BANKED TO THE RIGHT AND THAT THE LEFT WING COLLIDED WITH A GUY WIRE AND SEPARATED. THE AIRPLANE THEN DESCENDED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE TOP BEACON STROBE LIGHT OF THE ANTENNA WAS OPERATING BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. A CURRENT SECTIONAL CHART WAS FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE THAT DEPICTED THE TOWER. REVIEW OF RECORDED RADAR DATA REVEALED THAT THE REPORTED ALTITUDE OF THE AIRPLANE CORRESPONDED WITH THE ENCODED ALTITUDE. NO RECORD WAS FOUND THAT THE PILOT(S) HAD OBTAINED A CURRENT WEATHER BRIEFING BEFORE DEPARTURE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 442 hours in all; 25 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 283 as pilot in command; 40 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,403 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1993; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Knight Flight LTD.
The flight
- Departed from: SFB Sanford FL at 11:57 am
- Destination: PFN Panama City FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 400 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from GNV, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.