Piper PA-28-181 accident near Provincetown, Massachusetts, August 3, 1993
On August 3, 1993 at about 2:34 am local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N2093A, was destroyed in an accident near Provincetown, Massachusetts (Provincetown airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT INITIATING VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS RESULTING IN SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. DURING HIS ATTEMPT TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT THE PILOT EXCEEDED THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS RESULTING IN WING OVERLOAD AND SEPARATION. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S DISREGARD OF THE WEATHER BRIEFER'S ADVISORY THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED, THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE DARK NIGHT, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT TIME AND NIGHT FLYING EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 1993 · about 2:34 am local time
- Place
- Provincetown, Massachusetts · Provincetown
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N2093A · no longer on the register · serial 287990103
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT HAD CALLED FSS 6 TIMES, FROM 1152 TO 2201, FOR WEATHER FOR A VFR FLIGHT FROM CAPE COD AND PROVINCETOWN,MA TO POTTSTOWN,PA. DURING THE 1152, 1254, AND 1401 BRIEFINGS HE WAS ADVISED OF A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT. DURING THE 2018 BRIEFING HE WAS ADVISED OF 2 SIGMETS AND THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. DURING THE THE 2201 BRIEFING HE WAS AGAIN ADVISED THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED DUE TO LOW CEILINGS AND FOG IN THE PROVINCETOWN AREA AND FORECASTED IFR CONDITIONS EN ROUTE. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM PROVINCETOWN, THE AIRPLANE WAS HEARD CIRCLING LOW, AND THEN OBSERVED DESCENDING OUT OF THE CLOUDS. THE RIGHT WING HAD SEPARATED IN FLIGHT. AN AIRLINE PILOT WITNESS ESTIMATED VISIBILITY AT 1 MI. ALTHOUGH A SMALL AREA OF PREEXISTING FATIGUE CRACKING WAS FOUND ON THE LOWER WING SPAR BREAK, EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE WING HAD SUSTAINED HIGH LOADS IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO SEPARATION. DURING HIS LAST PHYSICAL DURING 4/93 THE PILOT REPORTED 5 HRS TOTAL NIGHT FLIGHT TIME. CRASH SITE WAS A TRAILER PARK.
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: 57 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,683 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 17, 1993; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: N46 Pottstown PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Observation at 2:35 am from PVC, 2 miles away
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.
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.