Candlelight Farms Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

New Milford, Connecticut 06776
Wednesday, April 15, 1987 19:55 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AFTER TAKING OFF ON RUNWAY 16 AT THE CANDLELIGHT FARMS AIRPORT, THE FLIGHT REMAINED LOW OVER THE RUNWAY WHILE GAINING AIRSPEED. AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE UPWIND END OF THE RUNWAY, WITNESSES OBSERVED IT ENTER A STEEP CLIMB THAT CONTINUED TO AN ESTIMATED HEIGHT OF 700 FEET ABOVE THE TERRAIN. AT THE TOP OF THE CLIMB, THE NOSE DROPPED AND THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A DIVING SPIRAL THAT CONTINUED UNTIL IT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN ON THE AIRPORT NEAR THE UPWIND END OF THE RUNWAY. EXAM OF THE ACFT AND ENG DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION PRIOR TO THE ACFT COLLIDING WITH THE GROUND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/15/1987
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1955
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City NEW MILFORD
Event State CONNECTICUT
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 06776
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CANDLELIGHT FARMS
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 11N
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 675
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2000 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 184
Weather Observation Facility ID DXR
Elevation of weather observation facility 457
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 12
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 11
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 140
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
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 Unknown
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 999
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 15 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2135
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 34348
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:19PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N377SW
NTSB Number NYC87FA124
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BELLANCA
Aircraft Model 8KCAB
Aircraft Series Identifier 8KCAB
Aircraft Serial Number 5573
Certified Max Gross Weight 1800
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 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 4 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 1258
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JOSEPH E SEAGRAM & SONS, INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 375 PARK AVENUE
Aircraft Owner City NEW YORK
Aircraft Owner State NY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 10022
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name JOSEPH E. SEAGRAM & SONS,INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 375 PARK AVE.
Operator City NEW YORK
Operator State NY
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 10022
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 1955
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code HPN
Destination City WHITE PLAINS
Destination State NY
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 15
Runway Length 2600
Runway Width 250
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --