Piper PA-28-161 accident near Oxford, Connecticut, March 12, 2011
On March 12, 2011 at about 6:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N2838D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Oxford, Connecticut (Waterbury-Oxford Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's inadequate landing flare and the certified flight instructor's inadequate remedial action, resulting in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 2011 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Oxford, Connecticut · Waterbury-Oxford Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N2838D · registry record · serial 28-7916463
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot, he was practicing crosswind landings with his certified flight instructor (CFI) when they planned to perform a full stop landing on runway 36. The airplane touched down hard in a level attitude and the CFI moved his hand to the throttle to add engine power but was too late. After impacting the runway, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane incurred substantial damage to the firewall. After reviewing a security video of the accident, the airport manager reported that the airplane did not flare prior to landing. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The reported wind conditions at an the airport around the time of the accident were variable from 240 degrees to 310 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 17 knots.
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
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 4,550 as pilot in command; 4,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 1, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 87 hours in all; 79 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 17 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,999 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 13, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OXC Oxford CT at 5:00 pm
- Destination: OXC Oxford CT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 5,800 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 pm from OXC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N2838D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA11CA187.