Piper PA-32-300 accident near Norwood, Massachusetts, March 16, 1994
On March 16, 1994 at about 2:48 am local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N7303R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Norwood, Massachusetts (Norwood Memorial airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT DURING THE LANDING, RESULTING IN THE IMPROPER RUNWAY ALIGNMENT BY THE STUDENT PILOT, AND THE SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH A SNOWBANK. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE INCOMPLETE RUNWAY SNOW REMOVAL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 1994 · about 2:48 am local time
- Place
- Norwood, Massachusetts · Norwood Memorial
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N7303R · no longer on the register · serial 32-73400043
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WERE LANDING AT NIGHT ON A RUNWAY WHICH WAS 150 FEET WIDE, OF WHICH 95 FEET WERE PLOWED OF SNOW. THEY HAD DEPARTED THE SAME AIRPORT EARLIER THAT DAY. THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED, BUT WERE LOCATED OUTSIDE THE SNOW COVERED PART OF THE RUNWAY. THE STUDENT ALIGNED THE AIRPLANE WITH THE SNOWED COVERED SECTION. THE INSTRUCTOR CAUTIONED THE STUDENT ABOUT THIS ALIGNMENT DURING THE APPROACH, BUT DID NOT TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE SNOWBANK, SHEARED THE LANDING GEARS AND BUCKLED THE FUSELAGE.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 3,100 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Norwood Air, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 4,007 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 am from OWD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.