BFO95LA061

During the turn from base leg to final approach, the pilot decided to make a 270 degree turn to allow for spacing between his airplane and a landing airplane. The airplane completed the turn and during final approach was left of the runway's centerline. The pilot made a right turn to align the airplane with the centerline. During the turn, the airplane's right wing contacted the ground and the airplane cartwheeled. Postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any airframe or engine anomalies. At the time of the accident, the airport's automated weather observing system (AWOS) recorded a ceiling of 200 feet. The pilot stated that throughout the flight the ceiling was about 500 to 700 feet AGL.

On June 11, 1995, about 1145 eastern daylight time, a Consolidated-Vultee, BT-13B, N79175, collided with terrain during a visual approach to runway 36 at the Waterbury-Oxford Airport (OXC) in Oxford, Connecticut. The pilot was seriously injured and the passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight departed the Danbury Municipal Airport, Danbury, Connecticut, about 1130, and the BT-13B was flying in the number two position in tandem with an Executive Spartan airplane. The Executive Spartan's pilot requested and was granted a Special Visual Flight Rules Flight clearance for the flight. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

According to the pilot of the accident airplane, the flight to OXC was uneventful. He reported that throughout the flight the ceiling was about "...500 to 700 feet..." and the visibility was "...about 2 miles." The pilot wrote, "Observed flight leader lowering gear and setting up approach from L.H. base for runway 36. To establish spacing for landing [I recall] planning for a 270 [degree] right hand turn to follow number one." The pilot stated he does not remember the rest of the accident sequence.

The passenger of the accident airplane wrote, "...upon approach into OXC we let the other A/C land and flew through the centerline of the runway at OXC and circled to the right to allow for spacing and on final we went through the centerline again and the pilot attempted to correct the approach by turning right, at which point the A/C struck the ground."

A pilot in the Executive Spartan stated, "I looked out the left side of the airplane and saw the BT-13B to the left of runway 36 low and in a steep bank right wing low. The right wing contacted the ground and the plane cartwheeled, and the engine separated from the plane."

Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies.

At 1050, the OXC Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) reported a "...ceiling of 600 feet overcast...visibility 10 miles." At 1150, the OXC AWOS system reported, "...partial obscuration, 200 feet overcast, 2 1/2 mile visibility." At 1250, the OXC AWOS system reported a "ceiling of 300 overcast...visibility 4 miles."