- Date
- November 24, 2015, 18:18 local (23:18 UTC)
- Place
- Danbury, CT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N771BTCirrus Design SR22
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20151124018679A
- Case key
- 92394
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from obstructions while on approach to landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
Upon arrival at the pilot's destination airport, the wind was calm, there was no ceiling, and the visibility was unlimited. Sunset had already occurred. Air traffic control directed the pilot to enter a left downwind for the active runway. The pilot then entered the left downwind for the runway at approximately 1,500 feet and confirmed the pattern altitude with air traffic control as there were nearby radio towers. The pilot elected to fly an extended downwind beyond the radio towers, turned left base and then final. On the turn to final, the pilot slightly overshot the runway centerline and then adjusted to align with the runway. Upon turning final, the tower controller realized the runway edge lights (MIRL) were at low intensity, advised him, and increased their intensity making the runway more visible. The runway end identifier lights (REIL) were out of service and the displaced threshold for the runway was unlighted. On final approach, the pilot heard a "thunk" sound and felt a slight jolt as if something had struck the airplane. The pilot continued the approach and landed, touching down beyond the displaced threshold and then taxied to the ramp. Post flight inspection by the pilot revealed that the right wing had a yellowish goo spattered on top of it, a large dent in the TKS anti-ice panel on the leading edge of the outer part of the wing, a small dent in the TKS anti-ice panel on the leading edge more inward on the wing, a third dent on the corner of the leading edge of the composite cap at the end of the wing, and chipped paint on the top of the wing. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector also revealed that a piece of wood with bark on one side of it was wedged between the right wing tiedown ring and the wing structure. Examination of the airplane by maintenance personnel revealed that the solid laminate and sandwich structure of the wing had been substantially damaged. Examination of the surrounding area revealed that trees were present along and below the flight path for the runway. Review of the Airport Facility Directory also revealed that it advised that 88 foot tall trees were present 450 feet from the runway which took a 3:1 slope to clear.
Factual narrative
Upon arrival at the pilot's destination airport, the winds were calm, there was no ceiling, and the visibility was unlimited. Sunset had already occurred. Air traffic control directed the pilot to enter a left downwind for the active runway. The pilot then entered the left downwind for the runway at approximately 1,500 feet and confirmed the pattern altitude with air traffic control as there were nearby radio towers. The pilot elected to fly an extended downwind beyond the radio towers, turned left base and then final. On the turn to final, the pilot slightly overshot the runway centerline and then adjusted to align with the runway. Upon turning final, the tower controller realized the runway edge lights (MIRL) were at low intensity, advised him, and increased their intensity making the runway more visible. The runway end identifier lights (REIL) were out of service and the displaced threshold for the runway was unlighted. On final approach, the pilot heard a "thunk" sound and felt a slight jolt as if something had struck the airplane. The pilot continued the approach and landed, touching down beyond the displaced threshold and then taxied to the ramp. Post flight inspection by the pilot revealed that the right wing had a yellowish goo spattered on top of it, a large dent in the anti-ice panel on the leading edge of the outer part of the wing, a small dent in the anti-ice panel on the leading edge farther inboard on the wing, a third dent on the corner of the leading edge of the composite cap at the end of the wing, and chipped paint on the top of the wing. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector also revealed that a piece of wood with tree bark on one side of it was wedged between the right wing tiedown ring and the wing structure. Examination of the airplane by maintenance personnel revealed that the solid laminate and sandwich structure of the wing had been substantially damaged. Examination of the surrounding area revealed that trees were present along and below the flight path for the runway. Review of the Airport Facility Directory also revealed that it advised that 88 foot tall trees were present 450 feet from the runway which took a 3:1 slope to clear.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N771BT
- Reported as
- Cirrus Design SR22 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3622
- Built
- 2010
- Airframe hours
- 812.8
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-550-N-61B, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 2, 2015
- Departed
- HPN · White Plains, NY
- Destination
- DXR · Danbury, CT
- Airport
- DXR · Danbury Municipal Airport, runway 26, 4,422 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Auto-pilot, Airframe parachute, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 19, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 284 total · 182 in this make and model · 178 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.39 inHg
- Observed at
- DXR
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 23, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.