# NTSB BFO94LA102: Piper PA-31-350, N4093U, Oxford, CT, June 17, 1994 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 17, 1994, 02:15 local (06:15 UTC) - Place: Oxford, CT - Location: 41.4783° N, 73.1352° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at WATERBURY-OXFORD (OXC), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.4783&lon=-73.1352&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 25, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 8935 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=BFO94LA102 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/8935/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO94LA102 ## Probable cause THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT ENCOUNTER WITH FOG DURING LANDING. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, landing - flare/touchdown - weather condition - fog (cause) - flight into adverse weather - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - flare/touchdown - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - flare/touchdown ## Analysis THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS AT MINIMUMS AT THE MIDDLE MARKER AND HAD THE RUNWAY IN SIGHT. WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS OVER THE RUNWAY AND THE PILOT BEGAN TO FLARE, HE FLEW INTO A FOG BANK. HE BEGAN A MISSED APPROACH, BUT THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, SUBSEQUENTLY SWERVING OFF THE RUNWAY AND DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. ## Factual narrative On June 16, 1994, at 0210 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-31- 350, N4093U, entered a fog bank during the landing flare over runway 36 at the Waterbury-Oxford Airport in Oxford, Connecticut. The pilot elected to do a missed approach and before the airplane started to climb, it landed hard on the runway. The airplane skidded off the runway and down into a ravine. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an Instrument Flight Rules flight plan was filed for the positioning flight. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot stated, "I got down to minimums at the middle marker and had the runway in sight. Over the runway and beginning the flare I flew into a fog bank. I began a missed approach but the next thing I knew I was on the ground. The aircraft began swerving to the right and continued until it was off the runway and down an embankment where it came to rest." Post-accident examination of the accident area revealed three different black rubber deposit marks just beyond the runway's touchdown zone markers. The three black marks continue to the right of the runway centerline until they departed off the runway into grass. Cut marks on the runway were present following along the same path as the right black mark. Markings on the grass continued through the grass and down an embankment and stopped at the airplane. The airplane came to rest in a ravine about 787 feet away from the initial black markings. The main gear were still attached to the airplane but were displaced outward from their normal position. Both main gears' lower link assembly side brace were fractured. Optical examinations of the fracture faces revealed features typical of overstress. The nose gear remained attached to the fuselage but was bent to the left. Post-accident examination of the airframe and engines did not reveal any pre-landing anomalies. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4093U](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4093U-1994-10-04), registration cancelled 1994-10-04, S/N 318152175 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-31-350 - Registry model: [Piper PA-31-350](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (registry code 7103110) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 8152175 - Engines: LYCOMING TIO-540-J2BD 350 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Operator: The Plane Broker, doing business as Executive Flight Services - Registered owner: The Plane Broker - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: UIZ, UTICA, MI - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: OXC, Waterbury-Oxford, runway 36, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 48; flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 10,000 total, 2,000 in this make and model, 7,300 as pilot in command, 100 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Night/dark - Visibility: 1 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 100 ft overcast - Temperature: 77 °F - Observed at: OXC ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19940617015439A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940617015439A), Jun 17, 1994: Piper PA31350, Oxford, CT, Substantial damage. Entered fog bank on flare. Began go around and impacted runway. Ran off runway down embankment. 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. --- 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.