Zlin Z143 accident near Chester, Connecticut, December 10, 2018
On December 10, 2018 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 2001 Zlin Z143, registered N143GW, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Chester, Connecticut (Chester 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 loss of airplane control during the engine start.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 10, 2018 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Chester, Connecticut · Chester · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Zlin Z143 L, built 2001
- Registration
- N143GW · no longer on the register · serial 0039
- 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, during the initial engine start, he "cranked the engine several times," but the engine would not start. He then pumped the throttle about six times, and in a "split second," the engine surged to full rpm. He added that, despite fully applying the brakes, the airplane crossed over a ridge and went down an embankment. Subsequently, the airplane entered a parking lot, the left wing struck a lamp post, the airplane spun left, and it impacted another lamp post. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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
- Miscellaneous/other during taxi (to runway)
- Loss of control on ground during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi (to runway)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,099 hours in all; 27 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 822 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 9, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 977 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 7, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,970 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J3A5 (piston); 977 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNC Chester CT
- Destination: 0B8 Fishers Island NY
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 am from KSNC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 1, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Picture | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.