ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 158152
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| Date: | Friday 9 August 2013 |
| Time: | 11:21 |
| Type: |  Rockwell 690B Turbo Commander |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N13622 |
| MSN: | 11469 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1978 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 8827 hours |
| Engine model: | Honeywell TPE331-5-251K |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | New Haven, CT -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Teterboro, NJ (TEB) |
| East Haven, CT (HVN) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot was attempting a circling approach with a strong gusty tailwind. Radar data and an air traffic controller confirmed that the airplane was circling at or below the minimum descent altitude of 720 feet (708 feet above ground level [agl]) while flying in and out of an overcast ceiling that was varying between 600 feet and 1,100 feet agl. The airplane was flying at 100 knots and was close to the runway threshold on the left downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern, which would have required a 180-degree turn with a 45-degree or greater bank to align with the runway. Assuming a consistent bank of 45 degrees, and a stall speed of 88 to 94 knots, the airplane would have been near stall during that bank. If the bank was increased due to the tailwind, the stall speed would have increased above 100 knots. Additionally, witnesses saw the airplane descend out of the clouds in a nose-down attitude. Thus, it was likely the pilot encountered an aerodynamic stall as he was banking sharply, while flying in and out of clouds, trying to align the airplane with the runway.
Toxicological testing revealed the presence of zolpidem, which is a sleep aid marketed under the brand name Ambien; however, the levels were well below the therapeutic range and consistent with the pilot taking the medication the evening before the accident. Therefore, the pilot was not impaired due to the zolpidem. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while banking aggressively in and out of clouds for landing in gusty tailwind conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and uncontrolled descent.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N13622
Location
Media:
PIC: Another photo of damage to one of the homes on Charter Oak Ave. after plane crash. #EastHaven pic.twitter.com/Axxg984rB4
— Jeff Saperstone (@JeffSaperstone) August 9, 2013
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Aug-2013 16:40 | Geno | Added |
| 09-Aug-2013 16:44 | Geno | Updated [Source] |
| 09-Aug-2013 17:06 | harro | Updated [Embed code] |
| 09-Aug-2013 18:24 | Geno | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 09-Aug-2013 18:52 | Geno | Updated [Narrative] |
| 09-Aug-2013 22:02 | Geno | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 13-Oct-2013 08:18 | MarkStep | Updated [Source] |
| 13-Nov-2014 06:24 | bizjets101 | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 29-Nov-2017 08:59 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 31-Mar-2020 07:20 | Captain Adam | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Source, Embed code] |
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