Cessna 337F accident near Danbury, Connecticut, August 14, 2015
On August 14, 2015 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1970 Cessna 337F, registered N8922M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Danbury, Connecticut (Danbury Muni 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 failure to maintain pitch control during the landing, resulting in a hard landing, nose gear collapse, runway excursion, and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 2015 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Danbury, Connecticut · Danbury Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337F F, built 1970 · all 337Fs on the register
- Registration
- N8922M · no longer on the register · serial 33701322
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had a "hard landing", the nose gear collapsed and the airplane skidded off the runway to the left, impacting flat terrain between the runway and taxiway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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 control on ground during landing
- Hard landing during landing defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Last flight review: June 1, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,254 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2015; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,630 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor IO-360 SER (piston); 2,254 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor IO-360 SER (piston); 2,254 hours total
- Operator: Flying W Aircraft Sales INC
The flight
- Departed from: DXR Danbury CT at 6:00 pm
- Destination: DXR Danbury CT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 4,422 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KDXR
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.
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.