Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, July 26, 2012 in Plainville, CT
Probable Cause Approval Date: 04/25/2013
Aircraft: CESSNA 172P, registration: N64182
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
During daylight in good weather conditions, the pilot was flying an approach to his home airport. After one go-around, the airplane approached the same runway a second time. During the second final approach, the airplane flew lower than normal and the nose dropped. The airplane subsequently impacted a berm 20 feet below and immediately before the runway. A postcrash fire consumed the cockpit and cabin area. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
The toxicological report noted that Zolpidem (a sleep aid known by the brand name Ambien among others) was detected in the blood and liver. Toxicological reports note “detected,” rather than an actual value, when the level of a substance is below the therapeutic range and, thus, is not intended to imply impairment.
According to law enforcement personnel, during the 2 years preceding the accident, the pilot had gone through a divorce, the closure of his business, and most recently was anticipating arrest on a felony charge. Additionally, about 1 month before the accident, a detective received a telephone call from a family member of the pilot, who expressed concern that the pilot was going to commit suicide based on remarks that the pilot had made; however, the family member later stated that the pilot recanted. Further investigation by law enforcement personnel did not recover a suicide note.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's failure to maintain the proper glidepath during final approach in visual meteorological conditions, resulting in collision with a berm.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On July 26, 2012, about 1910 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N64182, operated by Interstate Aviation Inc., was substantially damaged during final approach, when it impacted a berm just prior to and below runway 20 at Robertson Airport (4B8), Plainville, Connecticut. The private pilot was fatally injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Columbia County Airport (1B1), Hudson, New York, at 1739.
The airplane was based at 4B8. Several witnesses at North Canaan Aviation Facilities Inc. Airport (CT24), North Canaan, Connecticut, stated that earlier during the day, the accident airplane arrived there uneventfully about 1430 and departed about 1630. They added that it was common for the accident pilot to visit the airport and fly around the local area. They did not report anything abnormal with the pilot or the airplane.
Review of radar data, provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), revealed primary targets that originated approximately .1 mile south of 1B1 at 1739:17. The targets proceeded to 4B8 and terminated on a left downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern to runway 20, at 1901:24. The targets then reappeared on another left downwind leg for runway 20 at 1903:47, and terminated at 1905:15. There was no record of radio contact with air traffic control. Additionally, there was no record of any contact with flight service or direct user access terminal service.
A flight instructor, who was walking to his car at the airport about 1900, saw the accident airplane approach. He reported that the pilot made one radio transmission on the local common traffic advisory frequency, regarding landing advisories. The airplane proceeded to fly a mid-field crosswind leg of the airport traffic pattern, followed by a left downwind, base, and final leg of the airport traffic pattern. The witness noted that when the airplane was on final approach, its flaps were extended and it was "a bit" high. The nose then moved right, as if the airplane entered a controlled slip. The witness then left the airport in his car and did not see the impact.
Three people, who were driving their respective cars near 4B8 about 1910, witnessed the accident. The first witness stated that she observed the airplane "lower than usual" and it looked low as it crossed a street and impacted the berm below the runway. The second witness stated that the airplane looked level at first, but then the front end dropped down and she lost sight of the airplane. She subsequently saw smoke and the airplane engulfed in flames. The third witness stated that were no visible signs of engine distress prior to impact. Specifically, the airplane was not flying erratically or emitting smoke.
PILOT INFORMATION
The pilot, age 51, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and airplane single-engine sea. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on July 30, 2011. The pilot's logbook was not recovered. He reported a total flight experience of 1,000 hours on a "Renter Pilot Information" form he completed on June 23, 2012.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The four-seat, high-wing, fixed tricycle-gear airplane, serial number 17275530, was manufactured in 1982. It was powered by a Lycoming, O-320, 160-horsepower engine, equipped with a two-blade fixed pitch McCauley propeller. Review of the aircraft logbooks revealed that the airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on July 13, 2012. At that time, the airplane had accumulated 8,690 total hours of operation. The engine had accumulated 3,784 total hours of operation, and 1,655 hours of operation since major overhaul. The airplane had flown about 9 hours since the annual inspection, until the accident flight.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
Hartford-Brainard Airport (HFD), Hartford, Connecticut, was located about 10 miles northeast of the accident site. The reported weather at HFD, at 1853, was: wind from 200 degrees at 7 knots; visibility 10 miles; overcast ceiling at 9,000 feet; temperature 29 degrees C; dew point 21 degrees C; altimeter 29.62 inches of mercury.
WRECKAGE INFORMATION
The wreckage came to rest upright, with the empennage resting on top of the airport perimeter fence. An approximate 4-foot diameter by 1-foot deep impact crater was observed in the berm, about 20 feet below runway 20. The cockpit and cabin area were consumed by a postcrash fire. Both wings were observed separated from the airframe and exhibited impact damage along the leading edge. The ailerons were approximately neutral and measurement of the flap jackscrew corresponded to an approximate 30-degree full flap extended position. The horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer, rudder, and elevator remained intact and undamaged. Measurement of the elevator trim jackscrew corresponded to an approximate 5-degree tab up (nose down) trim position.
Flight control continuity was confirmed from the rudder pedal torque tubes to the rudder and from the control yoke base to the elevator. Continuity of the elevator trim was confirmed from trim wheel sprocket to the elevator trim tab. Aileron continuity was confirmed from the aileron control sprocket to their respective separation near the wing roots. The aileron balance cable remained attached to the left and right aileron bellcranks.
The engine remained partially attached to the airframe and was canted right. The propeller remained attached to the engine. One propeller blade exhibited s-bending and melting, while the other blade was bent aft and exhibited leading edge gouges. The engine was separated from the airplane and the propeller was removed from the propeller flange to facilitate further examination of the engine. The valve covers were removed and oil was noted throughout the engine. The top spark plugs were also removed for inspection; their electrodes were intact and light gray in color. When the crankshaft was rotated by hand, camshaft, crankshaft, and valvetrain continuity were confirmed and thumb compression was attained on all cylinders. Both magnetos sustained fire damage and could not be tested. Inspection of the carburetor revealed that the floats, needle valve, and venturi were consumed by fire.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
An autopsy was performed on the pilot on July 28, 2012, by the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Farmington, Connecticut. Review of the autopsy report revealed that the cause of death was "multiple blunt traumatic injuries" and the manner of death was "accident."
Toxicological testing was performed on the pilot by the FAA Bioaeronautical Science Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Review of the toxicology report revealed:
"Zolpidem detected in Liver
Zolpidem detected in Blood"
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
According to law enforcement personnel, during the 2 years preceding the accident, the pilot had gone through a divorce, a closure of his business, and most recently was anticipating arrest based on a warrant being processed, which included the charge of sexual assault in the first degree. Additionally, on June 22, 2012, a detective received a telephone call from a family member of the pilot, who expressed concern that the pilot was going to commit suicide based on remarks that the pilot had made. The family member later stated that the pilot recanted; however, on the day after the telephone call (June 23), the pilot went to Interstate Aviation and completed a "checkout" flight in order to rent their airplanes. Further investigation by law enforcement personnel did not recover a suicide note.
==============
TORRINGTON >> James E. Seaver, Sr. the Torrington man killed in a Plainville plane crash in July, had a drug used to treat insomnia running through his veins when his Cessna 172P crashed into a berm near Robertson Airport.
Seaver, who was also being investigated by Torrington Police on allegations of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl years prior, had zolpidem detected in his liver and bloodstream, according to a toxicology report released by the National Transportation Safety Board. The brand name of zolpidem is Ambien, a sedative-hypnotic designed to slow brain activity, allowing a person to sleep easier.
Seaver’s fatal plane crash occurred on July 26 shortly after 7 p.m. in Plainville, after the private pilot departed from North Canaan Aviation Facilities, Inc. Airport at 6:20 p.m. He was 51.
Weeks following the fatal accident, Torrington Police released an unsigned arrest warrant indicating Seaver was under investigation for allegedly assaulting a 12-year-old girl in 2010. The girl, now 14, reported the incident to her mother in June and was given a forensic interview which proved consistent with her testimony of alleged sexual activity, the warrant states.
The warrant application relays an exchange between Seaver and the girl’s mother, with Seaver admitting he had “only touched her” three to four times, requesting the mother not to report him.
“Can’t we find a therapist that doesn’t have to report,” Seaver said, according to the report.
Seaver’s toxicology report, finalized on Aug. 29 by the U.S. Department of Transportation, examined specimens from the decedent’s vital organs, blood and urine. The one-page summary states that no carbon monoxide or cyanide was detected in his blood, nor was any ethanol — indicating alcohol use — found in Seaver’s urine. The report additionally tested for amphetamines, opiates, marijuana, cocaine, and other drugs, including anti-depressants.
Medical information states that consumers of zolpidem — whether in its pill form, like Ambien, or its oral spray version — should expect to sleep shortly after taking the drug. The drug makes consumers sleepy, and consumers should expect to sleep a minimum of seven hours, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
The National Library of Medicine states that zolpidem should only be taken for seven to 10 days; not to exceed two weeks of consumption.
A recent study released by BMJ Open, a British-based medical publication, found drugs like zolpidem are more likely to cause cancer and consumers have a greater risk of death than people who don’t use sleep aid medication.
“When starting Ambien, do not do anything that requires complete alertness, such as driving, operating machinery, or piloting an airplane,” the drug’s user precautions read.
The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration has yet to finalize a report from the July 26 incident, although preliminary investigation by the NTSB claims weather was not an issue during the crash. The initial report additionally states that Seaver never made radio contact with flight service, nor were there records of contact with air traffic control.
The Cessna 172, the same model Seaver flew, is a four-seat single engine aircraft and according to the company, its best seller. Seaver’s crash marks the second fatality in the 172 model in Plainville since 2002. There have been two other crashes investigated by the NTSB near Robertson Airport since that time, although neither caused death.
Seaver was the only victim in the crash.
Source: http://www.registercitizen.com
NTSB Identification: ERA12FA483
Nonscheduled
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, July 26, 2012 in Plainville, CT Aircraft: CESSNA 172P, registration: N64182 Injuries: 1 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On July 26, 2012, about 1910 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N64182, operated by Interstate Aviation Inc., was substantially damaged during final approach, when it impacted a berm just prior to and below runway 20 at Robertson Airport (4B8), Plainville, Connecticut. The private pilot was fatally injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that departed North Canaan Aviation Facilities Inc. Airport (CT24), North Canaan, Connecticut, about 1820.
Review of preliminary radar data, provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, revealed primary targets that originated approximately 3 miles southeast of CT24 at 1825:57. The targets proceeded to 4B8 and terminated on a left downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern to runway 20, at 1901:24. There was no record of radio contact with air traffic control. Additionally, there was no record of any contact with flight service or direct user access terminal.
A flight instructor, who was walking to his car at the airport, saw the accident airplane approach. He reported that the pilot made one radio transmission on the local common traffic advisory frequency, regarding landing advisories. The airplane proceeded to fly a mid-field crosswind leg of the airport traffic pattern, followed by a left downwind, base, and final leg of the airport traffic pattern. The witness noted that when the airplane was on final approach, its flaps were extended and it was “a bit” high. The nose then moved right, as if the airplane entered a controlled slip. The witness then left the airport in his car and did not see the impact.
The wreckage came to rest upright, with the empennage resting on top of the airport perimeter fence. An approximate 4-foot diameter by 1-foot deep impact crater was observed in the berm, about 20 feet below runway 20. The cockpit and cabin area were consumed by a postcrash fire.
http://registry.faa.gov/N64182
NTSB Identification: ERA12FA483
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, July 26, 2012 in Plainville, CT
Aircraft: CESSNA 172P, registration: N64182
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On July 26, 2012, about 1910 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N64182, operated by Interstate Aviation Inc., was substantially damaged during final approach, when it impacted a berm just prior to and below runway 20 at Robertson Airport (4B8), Plainville, Connecticut. The private pilot was fatally injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that departed North Canaan Aviation Facilities Inc. Airport (CT24), North Canaan, Connecticut, about 1820.
Review of preliminary radar data, provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, revealed primary targets that originated approximately 3 miles southeast of CT24 at 1825:57. The targets proceeded to 4B8 and terminated on a left downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern to runway 20, at 1901:24. There was no record of radio contact with air traffic control. Additionally, there was no record of any contact with flight service or direct user access terminal.
A flight instructor, who was walking to his car at the airport, saw the accident airplane approach. He reported that the pilot made one radio transmission on the local common traffic advisory frequency, regarding landing advisories. The airplane proceeded to fly a mid-field crosswind leg of the airport traffic pattern, followed by a left downwind, base, and final leg of the airport traffic pattern. The witness noted that when the airplane was on final approach, its flaps were extended and it was "a bit" high. The nose then moved right, as if the airplane entered a controlled slip. The witness then left the airport in his car and did not see the impact.
The wreckage came to rest upright, with the empennage resting on top of the airport perimeter fence. An approximate 4-foot diameter by 1-foot deep impact crater was observed in the berm, about 20 feet below runway 20. The cockpit and cabin area were consumed by a postcrash fire.
PLAINVILLE — The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is waiting on dental records to positively identify the man who died in a plane crash while trying to land at Robertson Airport Thursday night.
A spokesperson for the medical examiner said they have determined a tentative identity of the pilot but the office still needs to locate and compare dental records to make a positive ID.
The plane burst into flames after crashing into a fence in front of a berm at the intersection of Johnson Avenue and Northwest Drive around 7 p.m. Thursday. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are still looking into the cause of the crash. The Cessna was rented from a company at the airport around 1 p.m. the day of the crash, investigators said.
Police said they would not release the identity of the pilot until his name is confirmed by the medical examiner’s office.
Around 7 p.m. Thursday night, the Cessna 172 plane crashed just 20 feet below the runway at Robertson Airport in Plainville.
Bob Gretz, a Senior Air Safety Investigator with the NTSB, told reporters during a news conference that a lone man was inside the single engine airplane.
The man has not yet been identified.
NTSB officials were at the scene Friday morning to document the crash site. According to Gretz, the crash is being investigated by both the NTSB and the FAA. They are looking at three factors, the pilot, the machine, and the environment, including if the weather was a contributing factor.
An official from Cessna is expected to arrive Friday afternoon to examine the plane.
Gretz said investigators are trying to determine where the pilot stopped before heading back to Robertson Airport. According to reports, the man rented the plane for two to three days. Paperwork he filled out to rent the plane indicated he had 1,000 hours of flight experience.
The investigation is expected to take between six and 12 months.
FAA IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 64182 Make/Model: C172 Description: 172, P172
Date: 07/26/2012 Time: 1915
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: PLAINVILLE State: CT Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT ON LANDING CRASHED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD WAS
FATALLY INJURED, PLAINVILLE, CT
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Landing Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: WINDSOR LOCKS, CT (EA63) Entry date: 07/27/2012
PLAINVILLE — At least one person died in an airplane crash Thursday night near Robertson Airport around 7 p.m.
Police Capt. Brian Mullins said one person was found in the airplane and was declared dead at the scene. It was not known whether there were any others on board.
The crash occurred on an embankment at Northwest Drive and Johnson Avenue, an area defined as the airport’s runway approach zone.
A woman at the scene, who wished not to be identified, said she saw the plane take “a nosedive” into the embankment as it apparently approached the runway for a landing.
Police said they are unsure whether the plane was ascending or descending or what caused the crash.
The small aircraft caught on fire, but firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, officials reported. The smoke could be seen from the center of town.
An early report over the police radio advised that the scene was a “fully involved” fire. Later at the scene, the severely charred wreckage of the rear of the plane could be seen sticking up out of an embankment near the end of the runway.
Dozens of firefighters with equipment were on the scene as were multiple ambulances. Police blocked off Northwest Drive on both sides of the scene swarming the area.
“The FAA will investigate the scene,” Mullins said at 8 p.m., as rain began to fall with the onset of a thunderstorm. “We are not going to touch it any more until then. The firefighters will secure the scene for the evening.”
Mullins said he was unsure when the investigation would begin today.
Town Manager Robert Lee said that since fuel had spilled from the aircraft, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has been notified to assess the degree of hazard as soon as possible.
Lee said this was the first time he had seen a plane crash at the airport since he arrived in town eight years ago. Other first responders recalled a plane crash that occurred a decade ago.
There have been eight crashes at Robertson since August 1992, one of those involving fatalities, according to the National Transportation Safety Board records available online.
On Aug. 17, 2002, a Cessna 172S crashed immediately after takeoff, killing the pilot and passenger. Several witnesses reported hearing the plane’s engine either sputter or cut out just before the crash, according to the reports.
The NTSB determined that the cause of the crash was a fire, of unknown origin, in the engine compartment that caused a loss of power. The plane, which was bound for Montauk, N.Y., fell from about 400 feet, according the the NTSB’s report.
PLAINVILLE -- One person was killed when a plane crashed at Robertson Airport in Plainville Thursday night.
Officials said a Cessna 172 aircraft was making a southerly approach to the airport when it suddenly took a nose dive into the fencing around the runway.
After hitting the fence, parts of the plane completely separated from the fuselage and scattered around the ground.
The plane was on fire for a short period of time.
The victim's identity has not yet been released.
It was not immediately known if inclement weather was to blame for the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration is en route to the scene to investigate, officials said.
Terri Mongeon
Fire engulfs a plane that crashed just short of the runway at Robertson Airport in Plainville Thursday.
Terri Mongeon
Fire engulfs a plane that crashed just off the runway at Robertson Airport in Plainville Thursday.
A small plane crashed into an embankment and burned near Robertson Airport in Plainville.
Photo by WTIC’s Matt Dwyer
Fire engulfs a plane that crashed at the end of the runway
A small plane crashed and burned at Plainville’s Robertson Airport shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday evening.
Firefighters poured water onto the wreckage near Northwest Drive.
At the scene, WTIC’s Matt Dwyer reported the small white plane appears to have flown into an embankment.
He says the tail section was hanging on one side of the fence, the wings spread out over the embankment.
Crews were positioning a tarpaulin to block the view of bystanders.
After the burning wreckage was extinguished, lightning could be seen, and thunder heard in the area.
One man who lives nearby said it sounded like something was wrong withe the plane’s engine, when it passed over his house.
Another man said he saw the small, white plane crash into an embankment near the airport, at the intersection of Johnson Avenue and Northwest Drive.
The berm is about two stories tall.
After the plane caught fire. smoke could be seen in parts of Plainville and Farmington.
The fuselage was blackened, and badly damaged.
Firefighters poured water onto the wreckage near Northwest Drive.
At the scene, WTIC’s Matt Dwyer reported the small white plane appears to have flown into an embankment.
He says the tail section was hanging on one side of the fence, the wings spread out over the embankment.
Crews were positioning a tarpaulin to block the view of bystanders.
After the burning wreckage was extinguished, lightning could be seen, and thunder heard in the area.
One man who lives nearby said it sounded like something was wrong withe the plane’s engine, when it passed over his house.
Another man said he saw the small, white plane crash into an embankment near the airport, at the intersection of Johnson Avenue and Northwest Drive.
The berm is about two stories tall.
After the plane caught fire. smoke could be seen in parts of Plainville and Farmington.
The fuselage was blackened, and badly damaged.
No comments:
Post a Comment