- Date
- December 5, 1990, 23:00 local (Dec 6, 1990, 04:00 UTC)
- Place
- New Haven, CT
- Injuries
- 4 minor; on the ground: 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5280VCessna 210L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report May 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901205062669A
- Case key
- 36854
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 failure of the vehicle driver to adequately monitor the radio/traffic pattern. Factors related to the accident were: darkness, the aircraft's loss of electrical power after activating the runway lights and entering the pattern, and the lack of visual perception concerning both the vehicle driver and the pilot.
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
Drg flt, the plt noted a negative reading on the ammeter & cycled the alternator sw, but to no avail. Before lndg, she activated the rwy lgts & discussed the wnds with a depg plt. A complete elec failure of the acft occurred as it was on downwind to lnd after the twr had closed. Consequently, all external lgtg & com radio in the acft were inop. A vehicle driver was making a rqrd inspn on rwy 32. The driver said she monitored the twr freq using a hand held radio & heard a discusion, but didn't hear exactly what was said. She saw the rwy lights illuminate, but thought they were actvtd by the depg acft. She announced her fld psn & intentions using the gnd ctl freq. The plt lndd the acft on rwy 20 & bgn the rollout as the vehicle driver was on rwy 32, crossing rwy 20. Subsequently, the acft & vehicle collided at the rwy intxn. The acft's alternator & voltage regulator were removed & tested, but both were fnd to be opnl. The overvoltage unit was not recovered & the reason for the loss of elec pwr was not verified.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5280V
- Reported as
- Cessna 210L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21060895
- Airframe hours
- 2,368
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-L, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Operator
- Shoreline Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Thermtran, Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · November 2, 1990 · 32 hours before
- Departed
- PIT · Pittsburgh, PA
- Destination
- HVN · New Haven, CT
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Airport
- HVN · Tweed New Haven, runway 20, 5,600 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 27
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,066 total · 342 in this make and model · 1,790 as pilot in command · 143 in the last 90 days · 49 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5280V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.