- Date
- July 7, 1991, 23:05 local (Jul 8, 1991, 03:05 UTC)
- Place
- Columbia, CT
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N43ERGulfstream American AA5B
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910707026119A
- Case key
- 36799
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 decision of the pilot to continue flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an in flight collision with trees. Factors related to the accident were the pilot's lack of instrument flight expereince, his overconfidence in his ability, and his inadequate preflight planning.
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 pilot of N43ER did not receive a weather briefing prior to departure. Witnesses stated that there was dense fog throughout the area at the time of the accident. N43ER was heard flying over several homes at a low altitude just before the accident. Witnesses said the engine sounded normal with no malfunctions. The pilot was not instrument rated. He had a total flight time of 169 hours, with 8.5 hours at night.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43ER
- Reported as
- Gulfstream American AA5B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0907
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert O. Miller
- Registered owner
- Robert O. Miller
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- 3N6 · Old Bridge, NJ
- Destination
- 5BQ · Windham, CT
- Airport
- 5BD · Windham
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 169 total · 124 in this make and model · 139 as pilot in command · 16.2 in the last 90 days · 9.1 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.