Piper PA-28R-200 N1488X

Summary

On 4 December 1993 at about 23:57 local time, a Piper PA-28R-200 registered N1488X was involved in an accident near New Haven, Connecticut, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 December 1993 at 23:57

Classification

Accident

Location

New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Nearest airport

Tweed-New Haven (HVN)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-200

Registration

N1488X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Nantucket → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC94FA033

4 people died.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING A NIGHT APPROACH IN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND DARK NIGHT. IN ADDITION, THE RADAR CONTROLLER'S VECTORING OF THE PILOT TO THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE WAS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH ATC PROCEDURES, THE RADAR CONROLLER ISSUED THE PILOT AN ALTITUDE WHICH WAS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROCEDURES, AND THE RADAR CONTROLLER FAILED TO PROVIDE RADAR MONITORING AS OUTLINED IN IN ATC HANDBOOK 7110.65H.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

ABOUT 30 MIN BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT WAS ADVISED TO EXPECT AN ILS RWY 2, AND HE BEGAN RECEIVING VECTORS FOR THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE. AT 8 MIN BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, AND ABOUT 12 MI FROM THE INITIAL APPROACH FIX, THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR ILS RWY 2 TO CIRCLE TO RWY 20. AT ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE INITIAL APPROACH FIX THE PILOT WAS AGAIN CLEARED FOR THE ILS RWY 2 TO CIRCLE TO RWY 20. WHILE ON THE LOCALIZER THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED 'CIRCLING TO AH TO TWO ZERO.' THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE WATER 4.5 MI FROM THE AIRPORT. AN ATR-42 PILOT WHO HAD JUST LANDED STATED THAT CONDITIONS WERE 'ROUGH AND TURBULENT, ESPECIALLY AT TRAFFIC PATTERN ALTITUDE.' THE PILOT HAD OBTAINED HIS INSTRUMENT RATING 4-1/2 MOS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.