- Date
- August 27, 1988, 22:24 local (Aug 28, 1988, 02:24 UTC)
- Place
- Pomfret, CT
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3478MPiper PA-28R-201
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880827035319A
- Case key
- 36013
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The Piper arrow PA-28R-201, had asked ATC for vectors to windam airport. After being vectored the pilot requested his distance from the airport. He was told that he was 12 miles from the airport, the pilot then decided to descend. ATC advised the pilot to descend at pilots descretion and to maintain VFR. Radar contact was lost at about 2100 feet. When ATC tried to contact the pilot and advise him that radar contact had been lost, there was no reply. Weather in the area was IMC and the pilot was not instrument rated. The aircraft impacted in a wooded area, in an almost vertical attitude. Nothing was found to indicate any malfunction of the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3478M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-201
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7837116
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert Silver
- Registered owner
- Robert Silver
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- EEN · Keene, NH
- Destination
- 5B0 · Windham Arpt, CT
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 122 total · 97 in this make and model · 24 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BDL, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.