Piper PA-32R-301 accident near East Haddam, Connecticut, March 30, 2000
On March 30, 2000 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-32R-301, registered N8041B, was substantially damaged in an accident near East Haddam, Connecticut (Goodspeed 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The private pilots failure to obtain the proper touchdown point and the CFI's delay in remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 2000 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- East Haddam, Connecticut · Goodspeed Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-301 · all PA-32R-301s on the register
- Registration
- N8041B · registry record · serial 32R-8213022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot and a certificated flight instructor were conducting a flight review. While on final approach to the runway, the airplane passed over trees and began to sink. The pilot receiving the flight review was unable to recover from the sink with power and the airplane touched down in a field about 60 feet prior to the runway threshold, collapsing the left main landing gear. The airplane continued onto the runway, veered to the left, and back onto the grass, collapsing the right main and nose landing gear.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,261 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 2,174 as pilot in command; 350 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 4, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K165D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BDR Bridgeport CT at 6:30 pm
- Destination: 42B
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 2,120 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 am from MMK, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.