Cessna 152 accident near Provincetown, Massachusetts, August 28, 1990
On August 28, 1990 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N24894, was destroyed in an accident near Provincetown, Massachusetts. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED AN INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN. PROBABLE FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES/DIRECTIVES, AND HIS LACK OF PROPER CERTIFICATION (QUALIFICATION) FOR THIS FLIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1990 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Provincetown, Massachusetts
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N24894 · no longer on the register · serial 15280437
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT & AN OBSERVER WERE ENGAGED IN A FISH SPOTTING MISSION. WITNESSES ON A BOAT OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE MANEUVER & THEN ENTER INTO A SPIN. IT IMPACTED IN THE WATER BEFORE THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO RECOVER. BODIES OF THE OCCUPANTS WERE FOUND SEVERAL WEEKS LATER. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK OF THE PILOT'S BLOOD SHOWED AN ETHANOL LEVEL OF 34 MG/ML (O.O34%), BUT NO ALCOHOL WAS FOUND IN HIS URINE. THE BLOOD/ALCOHOL WAS BELIEVED TO BE FROM PUTREFACTION. THE OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT REPORTED THE PILOT HELD A STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE & WAS ENDORSED FOR CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT; HOWEVER, A SEARCH OF THE FAA AIRMAN & MEDICAL RECORDS REVEALED NO CURRENT STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE/MEDICAL CERTIFICATE.
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: student
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,800 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 24, 1990; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2B1 Marston Mills MA at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N24894 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.