Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Waterbury-Oxford Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Woodbury, Connecticut 06798
Friday, December 20, 2002 21:03 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While in cruise flight at night, the pilot declared an emergency, and reported heavy smoke in the cockpit and an engine fire. Approximately 3 minutes later, while being vectored by air traffic control to a local airport, the airplane crashed in residential property. Several witnesses, including an air traffic controller, saw a red glow or flames around the front of the airplane prior to impact. The controller stated that when he first saw the airplane, it was headed toward the airport, in a descent, with its landing lights on. He momentarily turned his attention away from the airplane, but when he looked at it again, the engine area was engulfed in yellow flames. The airplane then began an uncontrolled descent, and disappeared from view. A post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that it was heavily fragmented from the impact and post-crash fire. In addition, magnesium engine parts were exposed to water during fire fighting efforts, which caused additional damage to portions of the engine and accessories. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the majority of in-flight fire damage was located on the right side of the airplane, from the engine cowling, back to the right passenger door. The source of the engine fire could not be determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
An engine fire for undetermined reasons, which resulted in the pilot's loss of control, and the airplane's subsequent impact with terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/20/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2103 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | WOODBURY |
| Event State | CONNECTICUT |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 06798 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 413121N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0731005W |
| Event Location Airport | Waterbury-Oxford Airport |
| 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 | 3 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 300 |
| Airport Elevation | 726 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2055 Eastern Standard 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?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 4 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.44 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 163 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14934 |
| NTSB Notification Source | NEROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 20 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2055 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 2 2004 8:07AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WINDSOR/LOCKS FAA/FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8168G |
| NTSB Number | IAD03FA024 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground and In-flight |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32R-301T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-8329009 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3650 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 2 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 40 |
| Airframe Hours | 2504.1 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | M.K. TWO, INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | OLD BROOKVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 11545 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| 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 | RUT |
| Departure City | RUTLAND STATE |
| Departure State | VT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2010 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FRG |
| Destination City | FARMINGDALE |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 2 2003 1:16PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |