Monday, January 05, 2026

Cessna 172N Skyhawk, N9360E, fatal accident occurred on January 4, 2026, at Provincetown Municipal Airport (PVC/KPVC), Provincetown, Massachusetts

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N9360E

- History of Flight:
On January 4, 2026, at about 1505 local time, a Cessna 172N Skyhawk, N9360E, registered to Brockton Flying Club Inc out of Taunton, MA, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident at Provincetown Municipal Airport (PVC/KPVC), Provincetown, Massachusetts. The sole pilot onboard sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated from Marshfield Municipal George Harlow Field (KGHG), 
Marshfield, MA, and was destined to KPVC.

According to preliminary Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) data, at 1406 LT, the airplane departed 30 at Taunton Municipal Airport (TAN/KTAN), Taunton, MA, and entered a climbing left turn to an altitude of 2,000 ft. About 10 minutes into the flight, the airplane started a descent for runway 7 at KPVC. At 1427 LT, the airplane was 2.40 miles from the airport and descending through 900 ft when it abandoned the approach, entered a climbing left hand turn before proceeding southwest towards KGHG. At 1446 LT, the airplane landed on runway 24 at KGHG. At 1450 LT, the airplane was observed on a climbing left hand turn from runway 24 at KGHG to an altitude of 1,800 ft. At 1454 LT, the airplane started a descent for KPVC. At about 1503:02, the airplane was at 650 ft, 88 knots groundspeed, when it entered a tight descending right hand base to final turn for runway 25 at KPVC. At about 1503:30, the airplane appears to have overshot the turn, but was able to correct itself. At 1504:23, the airplane was 0.25 mile short of runway 25. It was at 25 ft, 62 knots GS, and descending 640 feet per minute (fpm). At 1504:35, the airplane touched down on the runway with a reported groundspeed of 64 knots. However, ADS-B data showed a positive 384 fpm positive rate of climb. At 1504:43, the airplane was observed at 75 ft, 79 knots groundspeed, and a positive climb rate of 1024 feet per minute (fpm). This was the last data point recorded, roughly 1,800 ft down the runway.

Information available right now suggests the airplane crashed at the end of the runway and a post crash fire ensued.

Figure 1: Entire track on January 4 ran through Flysto

Figure 2: Go-around for runway 7 at KPVC

Figure 3: Approach for runway 25 at KPVC

Figure 4: Base-to-final turn, landing on runway 25 and go-around

- Pilot Information:
Unknown.

- Aircraft Information:
The four-seat, high wing, fixed gear airplane, serial number 17272237, was manufactured in 1979. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320 engine.

According to the Pilot Operating Handbook (POH):

BALKED LANDING

In a balked landing (go-around) climb, reduce the wing flap setting to 20" immediately after full power is applied. If obstacles must be cleared during the go-around climb, reduce the wing flap setting to 10o and maintain a safe airspeed until the obstacles are cleared. Above 3000 feet, lean the mixture to obtain maximum RPM. After clearing any obstacles, the flaps may be retracted as the airplane accelerates to the normal flaps-up climb speed.

STATL SPEEDS

CONDITIONS:

  • Power Off
NOTES:
  • 1. Maximum altitude loss during a stall recovery may be as much as 180 feet.
  • 2. KIAS values are approximate
Figure 5: Stall Speeds

- Wreckage and Impact Information:
Unknown.

- Airport Information:
Provincetown Municipal Airport is a public airport located 2 miles northwest of Provincetown, MA. The airport field elevation was 7.8 ft. The airport features a single asphalt runway 7/25 in good condition which is 3502 x 100 ft.

Runway 25 has precision markings in good conditions, 4-light PAPI on the left (a 3 degrees glide path), and a touchdown point with no lights.

- Weather:
(1) Brief:

The reported weather at KPVC, at 1456 LT, were as follows: Winds 320 at 15 knots, gusting 18 knots, 10 miles visibility, a scattered cloudlayer at 2,900 ft AGL, a broken cloudlayer at 3,800 ft AGL, temperature -2°C, dewpoint -6°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.01 inches of mercury.

(2) METARs:

METAR KPVC 041941Z AUTO 34013G17KT 10SM SCT028 BKN034 M01/M06 A3000 RMK AO2 FZRANO PNO $

METAR KPVC 041956Z AUTO 32015G18KT 10SM SCT029 BKN038 M02/M06 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP160 T10171061 FZRANO PNO $

METAR KPVC 042056Z AUTO 31013G18KT 10SM SCT035 OVC042 M02/M07 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP164 6//// T10171067 53009 FZRANO PNO $

(3) Area Forecast Discussion:

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
218 PM EST Sun Jan 4 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
Snowfall amounts were increased slightly for late Monday into Monday
night. Confidence has increased in light icing across the interior
Tuesday night.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Clearing and cold tonight

- Light snow accumulations, a coating to 2 inches, expected Mon
  afternoon into Monday night

- Chances increasing for mixed precipitation event Tuesday night
  into Wednesday.

- A brief period of dry weather on Thursday followed by another
  round of unsettled weather into the weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1...Clearing and cold tonight

Rising heights tonight as mid level trough continues to move east
and high pres will be building in from the west. NW winds may become
briefly gusty this evening then diminishing overnight as gradient
slackens with approach of high pres. With clearing skies expect good
radiational cooling overnight as winds become light. Lows should
drop into the single numbers interior MA, with teens elsewhere.

KEY MESSAGE 2...Light snow accumulations Mon afternoon into Mon night

A modest mid level shortwave will be quickly moving into the region
Mon afternoon and evening. Ahead of the shortwave a warm front will
approach from the SW with modest overrunning developing. Synoptic
scale forcing is not overly impressive but the column does saturate
through the snow growth region and low levels are quite cold which
will help to enhance isentropic lift. This should result in a period
of widespread light snow, starting 1-3 pm in the west and 3-6 pm in
eastern New Eng. Temps will be in the 20s when snow begins so it
will stick immediately which will have some impact to the evening
commute, especially in the west where the snow begins earlier. But
snowfall rates will be more than manageable at 0.5 inch or less per
hour.

It`s a fairly quick moving system so snow should be tapering off
before midnight as drier moves in. The snow growth region dries out
quickly which could lead to snow ending as a period of freezing
drizzle. QPF amounts are light, generally under 0.2", and expected
SLR will be 12-15:1. Probably not much more than that as snow growth
omega is not that strong. Looking at accums of 1-2 inches for much
of the region, except a coating to an inch closer to the south
coast. Ptype all snow, but may mix with or change to rain on the
Islands Mon evening as BL warms with light S flow.

KEY MESSAGE 3...Chances increasing for mixed precipitation
event Tuesday night into Wednesday.

A good portion of Tuesday looks to remain dry once the snow showers
move out in the early to mid-morning. However, another short wave
and low pressure system look to move into southern New England by
Tuesday night, bringing chances for a mixed precip event. Excluding
the NAM, the rest of the models are indicating a warm nose of air
with 850mb temperatures ranging +2C to +5C. Guidance is beginning to
hone in on the higher terrain areas of the Berkshires and Worcester
Hills having a higher likelihood of surface temperatures remaining
at or below freezing, leading to higher chances of seeing freezing
rain. Starting to see the latest round of guidance creep up in the
ice accumulation, bringing consensus to above 0.01" but below 0.1"
in the higher elevations. Soundings continue to favor this period of
freezing rain before switching to all rain as surface temperatures
increase heading into the mid-morning hours on Wednesday.

KEY MESSAGE 4...A brief period of dry weather on Thursday
followed by another round of unsettled weather into the weekend.

The Tuesday/Wednesday system should make its exit by Wednesday
night, and a mid-level ridge with a surface high moves in to bring a
period of dry weather on Thursday. Unfortunately, not expecting the
dryness to last as another system is projected to push into southern
New England at some point on Friday. Temperatures Friday and
Saturday remain above freezing, with ensemble guidance indicating
surface high temperatures 10-15F above normal, leading to precip
remaining solely as rain. Given this is still quite a while out,
uncertainty regarding timing, placement, and precip totals remains
high.

&&

.AVIATION /19Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
Forecaster Confidence Levels...

Low - less than 30 percent.
Moderate - 30 to 60 percent.
High -greater than 60 percent.

18z TAF update...

Through tonight...VFR-MVFR cigs trending all VFR tonight as
cloud cover decreases. NW wind 5-15 kt becoming light toward
12z.

Monday...High confidence.

VFR to start, then lowering to MVFR after 19z across central/W
MA and CT as light snow overspreads the region. Snow may reach
eastern MA/RI after 21z.

Monday night...Moderate confidence.

MVFR with areas of IFR in snow in the evening. Minor accums
possible. Snow ending around midnight.

KBOS Terminal...High confidence in TAF.

KBDL Terminal...High confidence in TAF.

Outlook /Tuesday through Friday/...

Tuesday: Mainly VFR, with local IFR possible. Slight chance RA,
slight chance FZRA.

Tuesday Night: MVFR/IFR conditions possible. RA likely, FZRA
likely.

Wednesday: Mainly VFR, with local IFR possible. Chance RA.

Wednesday Night through Thursday: VFR.

Thursday Night: VFR. Slight chance RA.

Friday: Mainly VFR, with local MVFR possible. Breezy. Chance
RA.

&&

.MARINE...
Forecaster Confidence Levels...

Low - less than 30 percent.
Moderate - 30 to 60 percent.
High - greater than 60 percent.

Through Monday night...High Confidence.

A period of NW gusts to 25 kt should develop this evening,
especially over the eastern waters. SCA was issued for eastern MA
waters and outer southern waters. Winds diminish late tonight
through Tue while shifting to SW late Tue and Tue night. Lowering
vsbys late Mon into Mon night in snow, changing to rain over
southern waters.

Outlook /Tuesday through Friday/...

Tuesday: Winds less than 25 kt. Slight chance of rain, slight
chance of freezing rain.

Tuesday Night: Winds less than 25 kt. Chance of rain.

Wednesday: Winds less than 25 kt. Seas locally approaching
5 ft. Chance of rain.

Wednesday Night through Thursday: Winds less than 25 kt. Areas
of seas approaching 5 ft.

Thursday Night: Winds less than 25 kt. Slight chance of rain.

Friday: Winds less than 25 kt. Chance of rain.

&&

.BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CT...None.
MA...None.
RI...None.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 7 PM this evening to 5 AM EST Monday
     for ANZ231-232-251-255-256.
     Small Craft Advisory until 5 AM EST Monday for ANZ250-254.

&&

$$

DISCUSSION...KJC/McMinn
AVIATION...KJC
MARINE...KJC/McMinn

- Additional Information:
No.

No comments:

Post a Comment