Piper PA-28-180 accident near Boynton Beach, Florida, January 17, 1994
On January 17, 1994 at about 3:17 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N2338T, was destroyed in an accident near Boynton Beach, Florida (Palm Beach County Park airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 1994 · about 3:17 pm local time
- Place
- Boynton Beach, Florida · Palm Beach County Park
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N2338T · no longer on the register · serial 28-7105207
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT BEFORE DEPARTURE THE FUEL TANKS EACH CONTAINED 20 GALLONS OF FUEL AND HE PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE WHICH INCLUDED CHECKING THE FUEL TANKS FOR CONTAMINANTS; NONE WERE FOUND. BEFORE DEPARTURE HE ALSO PERFORMED AN ENGINE RUN-UP AND EACH MAGNETO DROP WAS NO MORE THAN 50 RPM WITH A DIFFERENTIAL DROP OF NO MORE THAN 25 RPM. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED RUNWAY 9 CLIMBED TO 1,000 FEET AND THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER AND BEGAN TO BACKFIRE. THE PILOT REPOSITIONED THE FUEL SELECTOR, TURNED ON THE AUXILIARY FUEL PUMP, BUT DID NOT CHECK THE MAGNETOS NOR APPLY CARBURETOR HEAT. THE AIRPLANE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND THE PILOT DITCHED THE AIRPLANE IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT RECOVERED; THEREFORE, NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE REASON FOR THE REPORTED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 454 hours in all; 211 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 436 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 29, 1993; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LNA West Palm Bch FL at 3:12 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,300 ft; scat at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from PBI, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.