Cessna U206C accident near Bridgeport, Connecticut, April 2, 2011
On April 2, 2011 at about 11:05 pm local time, a Cessna U206C, registered N100HA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Bridgeport, Connecticut (Igor I Sikorsky Memorial Airpo airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delayed decision to perform a go-around which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 2, 2011 · about 11:05 pm local time
- Place
- Bridgeport, Connecticut · Igor I Sikorsky Memorial Airpo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna U206C · all U206Cs on the register
- Registration
- N100HA · no longer on the register · serial U206-0930
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was landing to the west during the late afternoon. As he flared the airplane, he lost his visual reference with the ground due to the sun's glare, momentarily blinding him. He initiated a go-around; however, the airplane landed hard and bounced airborne three times, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall and nose section. He reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. According to data from the United States Naval Observatory, official sunset was at 1919. According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, about the time of the accident, the sun would have been about 275 degrees magnetic and about 2 degrees above the horizon.
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
- Loss of visual reference during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Glare › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 54 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hagerstown Aircraft Services INC
The flight
- Departed from: GAI Gaithersburg MD at 9:14 pm
- Destination: BDR Bridgeport CT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 29, 4,761 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.53 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 pm from BDR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N100HA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.