- Date
- July 31, 1994, 14:55 local (18:55 UTC)
- Place
- Bridgeport, CT
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8453BPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940731019909A
- Case key
- 38806
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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
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 airplane had departed runway 11, and at an approximate altitude of 30 feet above the ground, the pilot aborted the takeoff, and the airplane impacted to the right side of the runway, in wet grass and mud. According to the pilot, he rotated the airplane, '...at 60 knots-engine missed, stall horn sounded....' He lowered the nose to gain speed, and aborted the takeoff with less than 1000 feet of runway remaining. The airplane impacted, 'nose down and left wing down...[and] skidded around [the] left wing.' Examination of the engine revealed no discrepancies.
Factual narrative
On July 31, 1994, at 1455 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA- 28-181, N8453B, registered and piloted by William Krummel, sustained substantial damage just after takeoff, at the Sikorsky Airport, Bridgeport, Connecticut. The pilot and the 3 passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The airplane had departed runway 11, and at an approximate altitude of 30 feet above the ground, the pilot aborted the takeoff, and impacted on the right side of the runway, in wet grass, and mud.
According to the pilot's statement on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, he rotated the airplane, "...at 60 knots-engine missed, stall horn sounded during initial climb." According to the pilot's statement, he lowered the nose to gain speed, and:
At around 30 feet above [the] runway decided to land. Engine continued to miss. Less than 1000' of runway left with hill, fence, and road at end of runway. Decided to land in grass and wetlands...grass was muddy and helped absorb impact...landing was nose down and left wing down, plane skidded around left wing.
The FAA examined the engine after the accident, and no discrepancies were found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8453B
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8290047
- Airframe hours
- 2,834
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William Krummel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 27, 1994 · 22 hours before
- Destination
- PVC · Provincetown, MA
- Airport
- BDR · Bridgeport/Sikorsky, runway 11, 4,761 × 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
- 65
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 675 total · 559 in this make and model · 579 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.