Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Barkhamsted, Connecticut 06063
Saturday, April 6, 1996 18:30 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot/owner had been invited to fly and have dinner with two other pilots. He was hesitant to fly because of a nonfunctioning artificial horizon and a landing light problem. Witnesses stated that the pilot was encouraged by a CFI-rated passenger who wanted to go along but did not have room in the other airplanes. The flight to the airport in daylight went without incident. The other pilots stated that nothing was mentioned at dinner about problems with the airplane. The three pilots coordinated their night departure in order that the fastest of the three airplanes took off first, followed in succession by the two slower airplanes. The pilot/owner of the Cessna 172, with the CFI-rated passenger seated in front and with his wife in a rear seat, took off as the third airplane. There was approximately 5 to 10 miles between airplanes. The three pilots were talking amongst each other and the lead pilot announced that he had encountered instrument weather conditions and was going to fly an instrument approach. The first pilot told the other pilots to deviate their routes to the south in order to remain VFR. The second pilot deviated to the south and radioed to the third airplane. The CFI in the third airplane answered and stated that they would deviate to the south, but they had lost their artificial horizon and were having problems. The second pilot recommended that they switch to approach control in order to get assistance. The CFI's voice was recorded on the approach controller's frequency. The CFI stated that he was having problems and had lost his artificial horizon. Within minutes of initial contact, the airplane disappeared off the radar scope. The airplane wreckage was located the next morning.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the CFI pilot/passenger's poor judgment which led to spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control of the airplane. Factors involved in this accident were the night marginal visual flight conditions and continuing flight with a known nonfunctioning artificial horizon.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/6/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1830 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | BARKHAMSTED |
| Event State | CONNECTICUT |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 06063 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2025 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 100 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BDL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 174 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4400 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2600 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1941 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 7 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 800 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 9:56AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6234E |
| NTSB Number | IAD96FA057 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 46334 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2200 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ROLAND T. LACROIX |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 35 FAIRFIELD RD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | ENFIELD |
| Aircraft Owner State | CT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 06082 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 1B1 |
| Departure City | COLUMBIA COUNTY |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1815 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 7B6 |
| Destination City | SKYLARK AIRPARK |
| Destination State | CT |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |