- Date
- February 16, 1996, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Stratford, CT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N8137DPiper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 20, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960216002079A
- Case key
- 39151
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
inadequate visual lookout by the pilot and the vehicle operator, resulting in their failure to see and avoid each other.
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 flight had landed and was taxiing to the ramp, in an area that was not visible from the air traffic control tower, when the airplane and a snowplow truck collided. The pilot reported that he had looked to his left in the direction he was going to make a turn, and just as he looked to his right, he saw the truck backing up and then strike the right wing. The truck operator reported that he did not see the aircraft in his sideview mirror as he backed up. He stopped the truck and as he began to go forward, the airplane struck the truck. The collision resulted in the airplane being pushed sideways 6 inches and turned about 90 degrees to the right.
Factual narrative
On February 16, 1996, about 1200 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-32-300, N8137D, was substantially damaged while taxiing at Sikorsky Airport, Bridgeport, Connecticut. The private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight was being conducted in accordance with 14 CFR Part 91.
The flight had landed and was taxiing to the ramp, in an area that was not visible from the control tower, when the aircraft and a snowplow truck collided. The collision involved the right wing of the aircraft and the rear of the truck.
According to the police report, the pilot stated he was taxiing through the area, looked to this left because he was going to turn in that direction, and just as he turned to the right, he saw the truck as it was backing up. The truck subsequently struck the airplane.
According to the police report, the truck operator had just plowed the fuel station. He backed the truck up, stopped, and as he started to go forward, he was struck by the airplane.
According to the FAA, the collision resulted in the airplane being pushed sideways 6 inches and turned 90 degrees to the right.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8137D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7940273
- Airframe hours
- 7,239
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Shoreline Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 7, 1995 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- ISP · Ronkonkoma, NY
- Destination
- BDR
- Airport
- BDR · Sikorsky Memorial
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
- 32
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,780 total · 5 in this make and model · 2,654 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point 16 °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.