Piper PA-22/20-150 accident near South Woodstock, Connecticut, March 8, 2003
On March 8, 2003 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-22/20-150, registered N7342D, was substantially damaged in an accident near South Woodstock, Connecticut (Woodstock Airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 2003 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- South Woodstock, Connecticut · Woodstock Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22/20-150 · all PA-22/20-150s on the register
- Registration
- N7342D · no longer on the register · serial 22-5131
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A private pilot landed his tail wheel configured airplane on the runway. The airplane subsequently drifted left into a snowbank, and nosed over. The private pilot reported the right main wheel hydroplaned on the runway, while the left wheel grabbed and the airplane turned left. A pilot rated passenger reported he did not remember feeling a deceleration like braking. He thought the airplane slowly drifted left and contacted the snow bank on the side. The private pilot also reported that the runway which was 75 feet wide had only been plowed to a width of about 50 feet.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 540 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 520 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 7, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,589.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 10, 2003; 0.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 64CT South Woodstock CT at 5:00 pm
- Destination: 64CT South Woodstock CT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 2,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from PVD, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.