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20040523011259A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Mooney M20J · Oxford, CT · May 23, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 23, 2004 · 21:10 local
Place
Oxford, CT
Airport
Waterbury-Oxford
Phase of flight
Final Approach-IFR
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N5763W
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC04FA127
Reported as
Mooney M20J
Reported engine
Lycoming IO360LYC*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
455 total200 in this make and model46 in the last 90 days
N5763WRegistration cancelled Jun 13, 2013 · Mooney M20JS/N 24-1472 · Built 1984Airframe modelMooney M20JEngine modelContinental IO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On may 23, 2004 at 21:10, registered aircraft N5763W, a Mooney M20J, piloted by bruce alspach was on a IFR landing approach to Waterbury-Oxford Airport runway 36. The aircraft was .6 miles from the runway and approximately 1000 feet east of the middle navigation marker when it collided with branches of a tall oak tree and descended to top off an evergreen. The aircraft continued its rapid descent and crashed into an open field between residential homes at 58 jacks hill road, Oxford CT. A debris path along a heading of 80 degrees was present, with ground impressions made by the aircraft for about 80FT in length until the aircraft came to rest in an inverted position with the nose, fuselage and empennage pointing east at 090. An eight foot section of the right wing remained in the crown area of the oak tree, the left wing separated at the root and lay along side the fuselage. The cabin and cockpit were crushed inward, the engine remained attached to the fuselage, the empennage had separated and rested adjacent to the fuselage. All major components were accounted for.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON MAY 23, 2004 AT 21:10, REGISTERED AIRCRAFT N5763W, A MOONEY M20J, PILOTED BY BRUCE ALSPACH WAS ON A IFR LANDING APPROACH TO WATERBURY-OXFORD AIRPORT RUNWAY 36. THE AIRCRAFT WAS .6 MILES FROM THE RUNWAY AND APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET EAST OF THE MIDDLE NAVIGATION MARKER WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH BRANCHES OF A TALL OAK TREE AND DESCENDED TO TOP OFF AN EVERGREEN. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ITS RAPID DESCENT AND CRASHED INTO AN OPEN FIELD BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL HOMES AT 58 JACKS HILL ROAD, OXFORD CT. A DEBRIS PATH ALONG A HEADING OF 80 DEGREES WAS PRESENT, WITH GROUND IMPRESSIONS MADE BY THE AIRCRAFT FOR ABOUT 80FT IN LENGTH UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN AN INVERTED POSITION WITH THE NOSE, FUSELAGE AND EMPENNAGE POINTING EAST AT 090. AN EIGHT FOOT SECTION OF THE RIGHT WING REMAINED IN THE CROWN AREA OF THE OAK TREE, THE LEFT WING SEPARATED AT THE ROOT AND LAY ALONG SIDE THE FUSELAGE. THE CABIN AND COCKPIT WERE CRUSHED INWARD, THE ENGINE REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE, THE EMPENNAGE HAD SEPARATED AND RESTED ADJACENT TO THE FUSELAGE. ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC04FA127Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportOxford, CTThe pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance during an instrument approach, which resulted in a collision with trees prior to the runway. Factors were nighttime conditions and cloud cover.May 24, 2004 · Substantial damage