Davis DA-2A accident near Lincoln, Rhode Island, June 22, 1982
On June 22, 1982 at about 10:27 pm local time, a Davis DA-2A, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N2281Z, was destroyed in an accident near Lincoln, Rhode Island. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 22, 1982 · about 10:27 pm local time
- Place
- Lincoln, Rhode Island
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Davis DA-2A, amateur-built
- Registration
- N2281Z · no longer on the register · serial 105
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ON A LOCAL PLEASURE FLIGHT TO SEE THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AFTER A ROUTINE INSPECTION. JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, WITNESSES HEARD THE ENGINE SPUTTER, THEN BECOME QUIET. THE PLANE WAS OBSERVED TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD FOR ANOTHER 300 TO 400 FT. IT THEN SUDDENLY PLUNGED TO THE GROUND AND CRASHED IN A STEEP DESCENT. A HEAVY ODOR OF FUEL WAS NOTED AT THE CRASH SITE. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF THE ENGINE OR FLIGHT CONTROLS WAS FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT.
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
- Flight time: 466 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 466 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 63 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Lincoln RI at 6:05 pm
- Destination: Lincoln RI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 156°F (69°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.