Amateur-built LONG E-Z accident near Lawrence, Massachusetts, September 12, 1988
On September 12, 1988 at about 7:30 am local time, a amateur-built LONG E-Z, registered N84WD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lawrence, Massachusetts (Lawrence airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. 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
- September 12, 1988 · about 7:30 am local time
- Place
- Lawrence, Massachusetts · Lawrence
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LONG E-Z
- Registration
- N84WD · registry record · serial 848
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT DEPD PROVINCETOWN ON A RTRN FLT TO HIS HOME ARPT AT APRX 0230 EDT & ARRIVED AT HIS DESTN ABOUT 1 HR LATER. HE RPRTD HE WAS UNABLE TO ACTIVATE THE PLT-CTLD RWY LIGHTS. HE CHECKED THE LIGHTED WIND SOCK & DECIDED THE NIGHT WAS BRIGHT & CLEAR ENOUGH TO LAND WITHOUT ACTIVATING THE RWY LIGHTS. THE PLT MADE A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN, BUT SAID HE DIDN'T REALIZE HE HAD LANDED TOO LONG & TOO 'HOT' UNTIL 'IT WAS TOO LATE.' BEFORE HE COULD STOP THE ACFT, IT WENT OF THE DEP END, THEN NOSED OVER AS IT WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. THE PLT CRAWLED FM THE ACFT; HOWEVER, HE & THE ACFT WERE NOT FOUND UNTIL A HELICOPTER PLT SAW THEM THE NEXT MORNING, NEARLY 8 HRS LATER. AN ATC SPECIALIST SAID HE CHANGED THE LIGHTING SYS FROM MANUAL TO AUTO CTL AT 0200 EDT & THAT THE AUTO SYS CHECKED NORMAL. ANOTHER ATC SPECIALIST SAID THE LIGHTS WERE ON AUTO CTL WHEN HE ARRIVED THE NEXT MORNING & THAT THEY OPERD NORMALLY.
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: 956 hours in all; 291 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 894 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 291 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 19, 1988; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,425 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVC Provincetown MA at 6:45 am
- Destination: LWM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,997 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°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.