- Date
- November 28, 1989, 05:50 local (10:50 UTC)
- Place
- Coventry, CT
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3309WPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891128047429A
- Case key
- 36516
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 non-instrument rated pilot initiating VFR flight into IMC on a dark night which resulted in spatial disorientation and uncontrolled flight into the ground. Contributing factor(s) was: the adverse weather existing at the time of the accident and the pilot's self-induced pressure to get to work.
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
A friend of the pilot reported that it was raining and foggy as she drove him to the departure airport. She also said that work was very important to the pilot, and that he felt that he had to get to work. Witnesses reported that at the time of the accident in the immediate area, there was wind, rain of varying intensity, low clouds and reduced visibilityaveraging between 1/4 and 1 mile.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3309W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-146
- Airframe hours
- 3,268
- Engine
- Textron Lyc. O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James A. Marshall
- Registered owner
- Bouton Services, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 18, 1989 · 62 hours before
- Departed
- 7B6 · Broadbrook, CT
- Destination
- GON · Groton, 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HFD, 12 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.