Piper PA31 accident near Stratford, Connecticut, April 28, 1994
On April 28, 1994 at about 2:56 am local time, a Piper PA31, registered N990RA, was destroyed in an accident near Stratford, Connecticut (Sikorsky Memorial airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 8 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the captain to use the available ILS glideslope, his failure to execute a go-around when conditions were not suitable for landing, and his failure to land the airplane at a point sufficient to allow for a safe stopping distance; the fatalities were caused by the presence of the nonfrangible blast fence and the absence of a safety area at the end of the runway. (NTSB Report AAR-94/08)
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 1994 · about 2:56 am local time
- Place
- Stratford, Connecticut · Sikorsky Memorial
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 8 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA31 350 · all PA31s on the register
- Registration
- N990RA · no longer on the register · serial 31-7405417
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The captain had ILS glideslope data available during the approach but did not fly the ILS glideslope. The partial obscuration of the airport environment, due to ground fog, contributed to the captain's failure to recognize that the airplane was high on both his approach and landing. The destruction of the airplane and the resulting occupant injuries were a direct result of the collision with the blast fence. FAA interaction & communication with local communities, although persistent, were unsuccessful in gaining support for runway safety area improvements and for the installation of approach lighting for runway 6. The passenger seats had been improperly assembled using unapproved parts, and seat belts had been installed incorrectly.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 527 in this make and model; 71 in the last 90 days; 44 in the last 30 days; 2,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 17, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 7,250 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Action Air Charters
The flight
- Departed from: ACY Atlantic City NJ at 2:55 am
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 6, 4,677 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,500 ft; scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 am from BDR, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 7 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.