# Accident 20021220033769A: Piper PA32R301T, Woodbury, CT, December 20, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 20, 2002, 21:05 local time - Place: Woodbury, CT - Damage: Destroyed - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.5972° N, 72.7561° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.5972&lon=-72.7561&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8168G, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8168G-2003-09-04) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-32R-301T (registry code 7103220, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-301t) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA32R301T - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD03FA024](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD03FA024) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021220033769A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON DECEMBER 20, 2002, AT 2105 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-32R-301T, N8168G, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN IN WOODBURY, CONNECTICUT, SHORTLY AFTER THE PILOT REPORTED AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THE PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED AT RUTLAND STATE AIRPORT (RUT), RUTLAND, VERMONT, ABOUT 2010, DESTINED FOR REPUBLIC AIRPORT (FRG), FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. A PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) COMMUNICATIONS REVEALED THAT THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH NEW YORK TERMINAL APPROACH CONTROL (TRACON), AND REPORTED HEAVY SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND AN ENGINE FIRE. THE APPROACH CONTROLLER IMMEDIATELY DIRECTED THE AIRPLANE TO WATERBURY-OXFORD AIRPORT (OXC), WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT. THE APPROACH CONTROLLER THEN COORDINATED WITH THE TOWER CONTROLLER AT WATERBURY-OXFORD, AND REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT, DESCENDING OUT OF 5,500 FEET. THE TOWER CONTROLLER STATED THAT HE TURNED UP THE RUNWAY LIGHTS, AND CALLED AIRPORT EMERGENCY PERSONNEL. HE THEN MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANE, AND SAW THAT ALL ITS LIGHTS WERE ON, IT WAS IN A DESCENT, AND IT APPEARED TO BE SETTING UP FOR A LEFT DOWNWIND ENTRY TO RUNWAY 36. THE TOWER CONTROLLER SCANNED THE AIRPLANE WITH BINOCULARS AND NOTICED NOTHING UNUSUAL. THE TOWER CONTROLLER THEN TURNED HIS ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE AIRPLANE TO INFORM THE APPROACH CONTROLLER THAT HE HAD THE AIRPLANE IN SIGHT, AND WAS NOW READY TO HANDLE IT. THE APPROACH CONTROLLER RESPONDED THAT THE HE HAD CLEARED THE AIRPLANE TO LAND ON ANY RUNWAY. THE TOWER CONTROLLER AGAIN MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANE, WHICH STILL APPEARED TO BE ENTERING A CLOSE-IN LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 36. HE NOTICED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOW ENGULFED IN YELLOW FLAMES AROUND THE ENGINE AREA. THE FLAMES DISSIPATED SLIGHTLY, THEN THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A "STEEP FALL TOWARD THE EAST." THE TOWER CONTROLLER NEVER RECEIVED ANY RADIO TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE AIRPLANE. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, HE WAS ABOUT TO STEP OUT ONTO HIS BACK DECK WHEN HE SAW A SMALL AIRPLANE FLY PAST HIM FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, IN A FAST, STEEP DESCENT. THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 10 FEET AWAY, AND 20-25 FEET ABOVE HIM. THE FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE WAS ON FIRE, AND HE OBSERVED A "RED GLOW." HE DID NOT SEE SMOKE, AND DID NOT HEAR THE ENGINE RUNNING. HE ONLY HEARD THE SOUND OF RUSHING AIR AS THE AIRPLANE PASSED BY. A SECOND WITNESS, WHO LIVED NEXT DOOR TO THE FIRST WITNESS, REPORTED THAT SHE WAS IN HER HOME WHEN SHE HEARD AN AIRPLANE FLYING "EXCESSIVELY CLOSE." SHE RAN TO HER BACK DOOR, LOOKED OUTSIDE, AND SAW THE AIRPLANE FLY PAST HER FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, THEN CRASH INTO HER BACKYARD. THE WITNESS OBSERVED FLAMES NEAR THE FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO IMPACT. A THIRD WITNESS STATED THAT SHE WAS IN HER HOME WHEN SHE HEARD A VERY LOUD SWISHING SOUND, AND THOUGHT IT WAS A SPEEDING TRUCK. WHEN SHE LOOKED OUT HER KITCHEN WINDOW, SHE SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE A METEOR PASS BY HER FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THE OBJECT WAS DARK IN THE MIDDLE, WITH A RED OR ORANGE GLOW AROUND ITS EDGE. IT WAS IN A STEEP DESCENT, AND APPEARED TO FALL STRAIGHT DOWN BEFORE IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. IT WASN'T UNTIL LATER THAT SHE LEARNED THAT THE OBJECT WAS AN AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE WAS EXAMINED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE ON DECEMBER 21-22, 2002. ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AT THE SCENE. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED, AND WAS ALIGNED IN A GENERAL DIRECTION OF 110 DEGREES MAGNETIC. THERE WAS A POST-IMPACT FIRE. AIRPLANE DEBRIS AND WRECKAGE WERE SCATTERED PRIMARILY OVER TWO RESIDENTIAL BACKYARDS, IN A GENERAL DIRECTION OF 147 DEGREES MAGNETIC. THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN THE FIRST BACKYARD, AT THE BASE OF SOME PINE TREES SEPARATING THE TWO PROPERTIES. THE LOWER PORTION OF THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR AND 11 EMPTY BOTTLES OF AVIATION OIL WERE ALSO LOCATED IN THE FIRST BACKYARD. ALL THREE LANDING GEAR, A SECTION OF FUEL TANK, A BURNED RUDDER PEDAL, THE BURNED INTERIOR SECTION OF THE FORWARD CARGO AREA, AND SMALLER SECTIONS OF AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE WERE LOCATED IN THE SECOND BACKYARD. THE MAIN WRECKAGE CONSISTED OF THE ENGINE, FUSELAGE, TAIL SECTION, AND BOTH WINGS. THE FUSELAGE WAS PUSHED AFT, TOWARD THE TAIL SECTION, AND BOTH WINGS SUSTAINED LEADING EDGE COMPRESSION DAMAGE. THE TAIL SECTION REMAINED INTACT, AND EXHIBITED IMPACT AND FIRE DAMAGE. THE AFT CARGO DOORS AND THE MAIN CABIN DOOR WERE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE AND LOCATED NEAR THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE AFT CARGO DOORS WERE BOTH FOUND IN THE LATCHED POSITION. THE FORWARD CABIN DOOR TOP LATCH WAS FOUND LATCHED, AND THE BOTTOM LATCH WAS FOUND UNLATCHED. EXAMINATION OF THE LOWER SECTION OF THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR REVEALED SOOT, AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE ALUMINUM SPLATTER ON THE EXTERIOR SIDE OF THE DOOR IN THE DIRECTION OF THE SLIP STREAM. THE LATCH WAS IN THE LOCKED POSITION, AND SOOT STAINS WERE NOTED EXITING THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LATCH AND SWEPT AFT. ALL ELEVEN BOTTLES OF OIL EXHIBITED HEAT DEFORMATION SIGNATURES, WHICH INCLUDED BUBBLING AND STRETCHING OF THE PLASTIC ALONG THE TOP, FLAT AREA OF THE BOTTLE NEAR THE NECK. SOME OF THE BOTTLES EXHIBITED MORE HEAT DAMAGE THAN THE OTHERS, AND WERE COATED WITH OIL. THE AIRPLANE AND ENGINE WERE RETAINED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. THE PILOT HELD A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH RATINGS FOR AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE AND MULTI-ENGINE LAND, AND INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE. HE ALSO HELD A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR RATING FOR AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND AND INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE. HIS MOST RECENT FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) FIRST CLASS MEDICAL WAS ISSUED ON FEBRUARY 22, 2002. AT THAT TIME, HE REPORTED A TOTAL OF 1,200 FLIGHT HOURS. WEATHER AT OXFORD-WATERBURY AIRPORT, AT 2055, INCLUDED WINDS FROM 320 DEGREES AT 6 KNOTS, BROKEN CLOUDS AT 12,000 FEET, TEMPERATURE 39 DEGREES F, DEWPOINT 33 DEGREES F, AND ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.44 INCHES HG. (-23) AIRCRAFT IN CRUISE FLIGHT DECLARED MAYDAY FOR INFLIGHT ENGINE FIRE AND SMOKE. ATC VECTORED A/C TOWARD WATERBURY-OXFORD AIRPORT. PILOT UNABLE TO REACH AIRPORT BEFORE UNCONTROLLED IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. INVESTIGATION BY FAA/NTSB CONTINUES. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB IAD03FA024](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD03FA024), Dec 21, 2002: Piper PA-32R-301T (N8168G), Woodbury, CT, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: An engine fire for undetermined reasons, which resulted in the pilot's loss of control, and the airplane's subsequent impact with terrain. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.