Piper PA-23-250 accident near North Andover, Massachusetts, July 29, 1990
On July 29, 1990 at about 3:05 am local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N333EP, was destroyed in an accident near North Andover, Massachusetts (Lawrence Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE CONTROLLER ISSUED AN UNAUTHORIZED ALTERNATE MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE THAT DID NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLEARANCE, AND THE PILOT DELAYED OBTAINING A PROPER RATE OF CLIMB DURING THE MISSED APPROACH. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND THE WEATHER AND TERRAIN CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 1990 · about 3:05 am local time
- Place
- North Andover, Massachusetts · Lawrence Muni
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N333EP · registry record · serial 27-30
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHEN THE PILOT REPORTED A MISSED APPROACH, THE TOWER CONTROLLER ISSUED AN ALTERNATE MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE AS INSTRUCTED BY THE APPROACH CONTROLLER. SPECIFICALLY, THE TOWER CONTROLLER TOLD THE PILOT '. . . FOR YOUR MISSED APPROACH TURN RIGHT HEADING 180 CLIMB AND MAINTAIN 2000.' THE PILOT EXECUTED THE CONTROLLER'S INSTRUCTIONS, TURNED RIGHT AND FLEW TOWARD RISING TERRAIN. WITNESSES HEARD THE ENGINES PRIOR TO IMPACT, BUT THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE PILOT AGGRESSIVELY STARTED TO CLIMB. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE TOPS OF 100 FT TALL TREES ABOUT 1/4 MI EAST OF THE AIRPORT AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE TERRAIN ROSE FROM AN ELEVATION OF 149 FT AT THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 5 TO ABOUT 200 FT AT THE CRASH SITE. THE MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE (THAT WAS ISSUED BY THE CONTROLLER) WAS NOT AUTHORIZED AS PER AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL MANUAL 7110.65.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ISO Kingston NC at 10:00 pm
- Destination: LWM Lawrence MA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 4,997 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:05 pm from LWM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.