Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Chester Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chester, Connecticut 06412
Tuesady, August 8, 2000 17:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The private pilot was performing a soft field landing as part of a biennial flight review that was being conducted by a certificated flight instructor (CFI). The airplane was on approach to a 2,566 foot long, asphalt runway, with a displaced threshold of 559 feet. According to the CFI, when the airplane was on short final, the airplane entered a 'down draft that greatly increased the sink rate.' As he was about to order a go-around, the private pilot applied full engine power and raised the airplane's nose; however, the airplane contacted bushes and a fence located prior to the runway threshold. A witness stated that the airplane looked 'low and slow' while on final approach. As the airplane continued to descend towards the fence which preceded the runway, he observed the airplane 'pitch up abruptly' and then suddenly pitch back down. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions. Winds reported at an airport about 24 miles east of the airport, were from 240 degrees at 6 knots.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The CFI's delayed remedial action.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/8/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1730 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | CHESTER |
| Event State | CONNECTICUT |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 06412 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | CHESTER |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 3B9 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 416 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1756 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 98 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GON |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 10 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 24 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 552 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA New England Com Ctr |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 8 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1750 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 9 2001 8:56AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8809W |
| NTSB Number | NYC00LA221 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA28-235 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA28-235 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-10354 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| 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 | Aug 1 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 51 |
| Airframe Hours | 2160 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILLIAM K. KIRKMAN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | WATERFORD |
| Aircraft Owner State | CT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 06385 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 3B9 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1610 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 9 2001 8:56AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 17 |
| Runway Length | 2566 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |