Norwood Memorial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Norwood, Massachusetts 02062
Tuesady, March 15, 1994 21:48 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

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.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

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.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/15/1994
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 2148
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City NORWOOD
Event State MASSACHUSETTS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 02062
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport NORWOOD MEMORIAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID OWD
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 50
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2145 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID OWD
Elevation of weather observation facility 50
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 3000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Partial Obscuration
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 3
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 382
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 15 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2218
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 10:52AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7303R
NTSB Number NYC94LA059
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-32-300
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-32-300
Aircraft Serial Number 32-73400043
Certified Max Gross Weight 3400
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DAVID O'DONAHOE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 112 CHESNUT ST
Aircraft Owner City BROOKLINE
Aircraft Owner State MA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 02146
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name NORWOOD AIR, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 209 ACCESS RD
Operator City NORWOOD
Operator State MA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 02062
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 2125
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 35
Runway Length 4007
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --