- Date
- April 12, 1995, 13:27 local (17:27 UTC)
- Place
- Danbury, CT
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 3 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N602PCPiper PA-60-602P
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 19, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950412011249A
- Case key
- 38943
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 pilot's delay in initiating a go-around (aborted landing) and failure to assure that the flaps were properly reset for the go-around. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's failure to achieve the proper touchdown point for landing, the wet runway condition, and the proximity of tree(s) to the runway.
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
After making a localizer runway 8 approach, the pilot landed over halfway down the 4422' wet runway. He then decided to abort the landing, added power, and when airborne, retracted the landing gear. He said he asked the right front seat (non-rated) passenger to reset the flaps (to 20 degrees). The pilot saw trees ahead, and realized the airplane was not going to clear the obstacles, though full power was applied. Just before impact, he pulled back on the elevator control to soften the impact, rather than hitting the trees nose first. After the accident, the wing flaps were found in the retracted position.
Factual narrative
On April 12, 1995, at 1327 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-60-602P, N602PC, owned and piloted by Robert L. Kovach, struck trees during an aborted landing at Danbury, Connecticut. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and the airplane was destroyed. The pilot and two passengers received serious injuries, and one passenger was fatally injured. The flight was operated on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan under 14 CFR Part 91.
The flight originated at Dulles International Airport, in Washington, DC, destined for the Danbury Municipal Airport (DXR). The pilot executed the localizer runway 8 approach to Danbury. At 1325:26, the Danbury Control Tower transmitted, "Aerostar six zero two papa charlie Danbury Tower runway eight wind one two zero at five altimeter three zero two three cleared to land." This was acknowledged by the pilot. Controllers observed the airplane "dive" toward the runway, landing over halfway down the 4422 foot long, hard surface, wet runway.
In the NTSB Accident report, the pilot stated:
...when I broke out, I went to full flaps and descended to the runway. I landed long and hot. I saw that the runway was wet and I was too far down the rwy to stop. I initiated a go-around by adding full power, reduced flaps to 20 degrees and maintained airspeed near 100 kts. There are hills surrounding DXR close in to airport. I saw that we were not going to clear the trees at about 150 feet AGL going up the hill. I waited until almost impact and pulled back on controls to soften impact by allowing bottom of aircraft to strike trees rather than nose first.
The FAA reported that the wing flaps were in the fully retracted position, the wing flap handle was in the neutral position, and the hydraulic system was intact. The pilot reported to the FAA that he never touched the flap handle, and had requested the right seat passenger to reset the flaps. Additionally, he reported that there were no problems with the engines or airplane.
FAA records revealed the pilot held a Private Pilot Certificate with single and multi-engine ratings. His instrument rating was limited to single engine airplanes.
The right front seat passenger received serious injuries in the accident, was taken to a local hospital, and died of her injuries on May 1, 1995.
The 1330 weather observation for Danbury was, ceiling 500 feet overcast, visibility 1 1/2 miles, wind from 100 degrees, at 7 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N602PC
- Reported as
- Piper PA-60-602P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 62P-18165002
- Airframe hours
- 3,253
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert L. Kovach
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 2, 1994 · 108 hours before
- Departed
- IAD · Washington, DC
- Destination
- DXR
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- DXR · Danbury Municipal, runway 8, 4,422 × 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
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,486 total · 481 in this make and model · 1,462 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 1.5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DXR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.