Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Waterbury/Oxford Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Oxford, Connecticut 06478
Friday, April 12, 2002 21:18 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After obtaining weather information, the pilot departed on a long cross country flight at night in instrument meteorological conditions. Approximately 2 hours after departure, the pilot was vectored by air traffic control (ATC) to intercept the localizer for the ILS RWY 36 approach at his destination airport. The pilot acknowledged that he had intercepted the localizer, and was cleared for the approach. Subsequently, ATC terminated radar services and approved a change in radio frequency. The pilot acknowledged the instructions, and there were no further communications with him. Data extracted from a handheld GPS unit revealed that during the last 4 minutes of the flight, the airplane made a series of left and right hand turns in the vicinity of the localizer course as it descended towards the airport. However, it was never established on the localizer course. The last recorded position calculated by the GPS occurred at 2118, was at an altitude of 779 feet msl, about 2,000 feet southeast of runway 36. The published decision altitude for the approach was 972 feet msl. A witness said that the airplane flew very low over her home, and sounded like "a motorcycle going full throttle...at a steady constant rate." Another witness said that the airplane flew over his home about 40-50 feet above the trees with the engines "running correctly." He then observed the airplane's landing lights illuminate the tree tops, then the woods, before it collided with terrain. Weather at the time of the accident included wind from 200 degrees at 6 knots gusting to 15 knots, visibility 2 statute miles, ceiling 300 feet overcast, temperature 52 degrees F, and dewpoint 51 degrees F.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to follow the published instrument approach procedure. Factors were the night and low ceiling conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/12/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2118 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | OXFORD |
| Event State | CONNECTICUT |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 06478 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 412800N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0700707W |
| Event Location Airport | WATERBURY/OXFORD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | OXC |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 120 |
| Airport Elevation | 727 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2115 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 120 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OXC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 726 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 200 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 15 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.38 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 19 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12856 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA New England Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 12 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2220 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 15 2003 4:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WINDSOR-LOCKS FAA/FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N82284 |
| NTSB Number | IAD02FA043 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-34-200T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 34-8070220 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4570 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 14 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3158 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WMM AIR LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | WILMINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | WILLIAM M. MUCCIARO |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | WATERBURY |
| Operator State | CT |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 06704 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CRE |
| Departure City | GRAND STRAND |
| Departure State | SC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | OXC |
| Destination City | OXFORD |
| Destination State | CT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 4 2002 2:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COXP |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 36 |
| Runway Length | 5000 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |