Piper PA-28R-180 N7427J

Summary

On 30 December 2001 at about 23:10 local time, a Piper PA-28R-180 registered N7427J was involved in an accident near Milford, Connecticut, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 December 2001 at 23:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Milford, Connecticut, United States

Nearest airport

Igor I. Sikorsky Airport (BDR)

Coordinates

41.1822, -73.0269

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-180

Registration

N7427J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cleveland → Bridgeport

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

IAD02FA024

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to follow the published IFR approach procedure, which resulted in a premature descent and subsequent impact with water. A factor was the night, overwater visual conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed on a night cross-country flight, with the destination airport located on the northern coast of Long Island Sound. He arrived from the northwest, but could not locate the airport. After several conversations with the tower controller, he was switched to approach control, and subsequently issued a clearance for the VOR Runway 29 approach. The pilot's last transmission was that he was abeam the final approach fix. Radar data indicated that the airplane proceeded off the coast about 8 miles east of the airport before initiating a gradual, descending right turn back towards the airport. During the last 2 minutes, the airplane was on a general heading of 300 degrees, descending about 1,300 feet per minute. The last radar contact, when the airplane was 200 feet above the water, was about 350 degrees magnetic, 3/4 nautical mile from the final approach fix. The final approach course was 275 degrees, and included a decision altitude of 380 feet. The frequency dialed into the airplane's VOR receiver was the same as the VOR. The night meteorological conditions included clear skies, a visibility of 10 statute miles, and a moon illumination of 99 per cent. Another pilot who was flying in the area at the same time reported that the moon and the city lights were "bright" at the time of the accident, and the airport runway lights were easily identifiable. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.