Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sikorsky Memorial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Stratford, Connecticut 06497
Thursday, December 26, 1991 9:13 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT RADIOED THAT HE HAD A PROBLEM. ATC CLEARED HIM TO LAND ON ANY RUNWAY. THE PILOT SAID, '. . . I DON'T THINK I CAN MAKE THAT (AIRPORT), I SEE THE HIGHWAY BELOW.' THE AIRPLANE LANDED AT AN ANGLE TO THE SOUTHBOUND LANES OF INTERSTATE HIGHWAY I-95 AND HIT A GUARD RAIL AND THE CENTER CEMENT BARRIERS. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO THE LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK. PIECES OF ICE WERE REMOVED FROM THE LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK, THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE, AND THE FUEL STRAINER SEDIMENT BOWL. THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST REFUELED ON 10/27/91, WITH 53.9 GALLONS OF 100 OCTANE FUEL. THERE WAS NO RECORD FOUND TO INDICATE THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN FLOWN SINCE THE LAST REFUELING ON THAT DATE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
WATER/ICE IN THE FUEL SYSTEM, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION AND A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FREEZING TEMPERATURES AND INADEQUATE PRE-FLIGHT PREPARATION BY THE PILOT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/26/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 913 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | STRATFORD |
| Event State | CONNECTICUT |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 06497 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | SIKORSKY MEMORIAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BDR |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 360 |
| Airport Elevation | 10 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 40 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2156 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 46310 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 10:54AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9423P |
| NTSB Number | NYC92LA051 |
| 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 | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-24-260C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-24-260C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 244929 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 17 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 83 |
| Airframe Hours | 5756 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | STANLEY POSTYN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1 FALLEN ARROW DR. |
| Aircraft Owner City | HILTON HEAD |
| Aircraft Owner State | SC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 29928 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | STANLEY POSTYN |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 102 TREMONT AVE |
| Operator City | BRIDGEPORT |
| Operator State | CT |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 06497 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 908 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | OXC |
| Destination City | OXFORD |
| Destination State | CT |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 29 |
| Runway Length | 4700 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |