# Accident 20050402007769A: Piper PA31P350, Danbury, CT, April 2, 2005

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 2, 2005, 12:00 local time
- Place: Danbury, CT
- Airport: Danbury Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Final Approach-IFR
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.3622° N, 73.5261° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.3622&lon=-73.5261&mi=10
- Aircraft: N134DE (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31P350
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,633 total, 24 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD05LA050](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD05LA050) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050402007769A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMIT^, PIC OF N134DE WAS ON THE LOC 8 APPROACH TO DANBURY, CT (DXR) WHEN HE DESCENDED BELOW THE APPROACH MINIMUMS AND HIT TREES. HE WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DA^ INITIATED A MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE AT DXR, FLEW TO ISLIP, NY (ISP), MISSED THE APPROACH, AND THEN LANDED AT FARMINGDALE, NY (FRG). THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE. (-23 AMENDMENT) WHILE ON THE LOC 8 APPROACH TO DANBURY, CT (DXR), ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^  PIC OF N134DE, DESCENDED BELOW MINIMUMS AND HIT TREES BEFORE HE WENT MISSED APPROACH. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO BRIDGEPORT, CT (BDR), CONDUCTED AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH AND WENT MISSED APPROACH. FROM BDR HE PROCEEDED TO ISLIP, NY (ISP), CONDUCTED AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH AND WENT MISSED APPROACH. FROM ISP HE PROCEEDED TO FARMINGDALE, NY (FRG), CONDUCTED AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH AND LANDED. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DA^ WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS DURING THE ENTIRE FLIGHT.

## 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 IAD05LA050](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD05LA050), Apr 2, 2005: Piper PA-31P-350 (N134DE), Ridgefield, CT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper IFR procedure by flying below the minimum descent altitude, which resulted in the airplane striking trees.

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.

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