# NTSB NYC80FA009: Piper PA-31, N405CA, Stamford, CT, November 7, 1979

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Closed
- Date: November 7, 1979
- Place: Stamford, CT · STAMFORD, CT
- Location: 41.0534° N, 73.5387° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Stamford, CT, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.0534&lon=-73.5387&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report April 29, 1980
- Report: Brief approved by the director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 133271
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC80FA009
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC80FA009

## NTSB brief (aircraft 2)

```
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 FILE    DATE          LOCATION          AIRCRAFT DATA       INJURIES       FLIGHT                        PILOT DATA
                                                               F  S M/N     PURPOSE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3-3621   79/11/7 NR.STAMFORD,CT        PIPER PA-23         CR-  0  0  1  COMMERCIAL                AIRLINE TRANSPORT, AGE
        TIME - 2245                    N54857              PX-  0  0  0  COMMUTER AIR CARRIER      28, 5000 TOTAL HOURS, 250
                                       DAMAGE-MINOR        OT-  0  0  1  AIR TAXI-CARGO S-D        IN TYPE, INSTRUMENT
                                                                                                   RATED.
        DEPARTURE POINT             INTENDED DESTINATION
          HARTFORD,CT                 QUEENS,NY
        TYPE OF ACCIDENT                                         PHASE OF OPERATION
           COLLISION WITH AIRCRAFT: BOTH IN FLIGHT                  IN FLIGHT: NORMAL CRUISE
        PROBABLE CAUSE(S)
           PERSONNEL - MISCELLANEOUS-PERSONNEL: PILOT OF OTHER AIRCRAFT
         SPECIAL DATA
          SEGMENTS OF AVIATION INVOLVED - SMALL US GEN.AV.-SMALL US GEN.AV.
          CONTROLLING AGENCY - NO CONTROL                          RADAR CTL/SURVEILLANCE - NOT UNDER RADAR CONTACT
          TRAFFIC ADVISORY ISSUED - NONE                           CONTROL ZONE/AREA - YES
          CONVERGENCE ANGLE-DEGREES -  0                           HORIZONTAL COLLISION ANGLE-DEGREES -   180
          VERTICAL COLLISION ANGLE-DEGREES -  0                    EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN - NO
          ANTI-COLLISION LIGHTS - OPERATING
        REMARKS- PLT WAS UNAWARE THAT PLT OF OTHER ACFT,PA-31,WAS CLOSING IN FORMATION FM REAR.
```

## NTSB brief (aircraft 1)

```
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 FILE    DATE          LOCATION          AIRCRAFT DATA       INJURIES       FLIGHT                        PILOT DATA
                                                               F  S M/N     PURPOSE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3-3621   79/11/7 NR.STAMFORD,CT        PIPER PA-31         CR-  0  0  1  COMMERCIAL                COMMERCIAL, AGE 27, 2606
        TIME - 2245                    N405CA              PX-  0  0  0  COMMUTER AIR CARRIER      TOTAL HOURS, 923 IN TYPE,
                                       DAMAGE-SUBSTANTIAL  OT-  0  0  1  AIR TAXI-CARGO S-D        INSTRUMENT RATED.
        DEPARTURE POINT             INTENDED DESTINATION
          HARTFORD,CT                 NEWARK,NJ
        TYPE OF ACCIDENT                                         PHASE OF OPERATION
           COLLISION WITH AIRCRAFT: BOTH IN FLIGHT                  IN FLIGHT: NORMAL CRUISE
        PROBABLE CAUSE(S)
           PILOT IN COMMAND - FAILED TO FOLLOW APPROVED PROCEDURES,DIRECTIVES,ETC.
           PILOT IN COMMAND - MISJUDGED DISTANCE
         SPECIAL DATA
          SEGMENTS OF AVIATION INVOLVED - SMALL US GEN.AV.-SMALL US GEN.AV.
          CONTROLLING AGENCY - NO CONTROL                          RADAR CTL/SURVEILLANCE - NOT UNDER RADAR CONTACT
          TRAFFIC ADVISORY ISSUED - NONE                           CONTROL ZONE/AREA - YES
          CONVERGENCE ANGLE-DEGREES -  0                           HORIZONTAL COLLISION ANGLE-DEGREES -   0
          VERTICAL COLLISION ANGLE-DEGREES -  0                    EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN - NO
          ANTI-COLLISION LIGHTS - OPERATING
        REMARKS- PLT BLINDED BY STROBE LITE,DRG FORMATION CLOSURE W ANOTHER CO ACFT,PA-23,WO COM OR PRE-BRIEFING.
```

## Aircraft 1

- Registration: [N405CA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N405CA-2013-09-27), registration cancelled 2013-09-27, S/N 31723 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-31
- Registry model: [Piper PA-31-310](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-310) (registry code 7103102) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Engines: reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage

## Aircraft 2

- Registration: [N54857](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N54857), registered now, S/N 27-7554157, built 1975 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-23
- Registry model: [Piper PA-23-250](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (registry code 7102308) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming TI0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (registry code 41533, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Engines: reciprocating
- Damage: Minor damage

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.