Cessna 172N accident near Bridgeport, Connecticut, April 10, 2004
On April 10, 2004 at about 5:56 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N6583D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bridgeport, Connecticut (Igor Sikorsky Memorial 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 inadequate compensation for wind conditions and his failure to maintain aircraft control which resulted in a hard landing. A factor was the gusty winds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 2004 · about 5:56 pm local time
- Place
- Bridgeport, Connecticut · Igor Sikorsky Memorial Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N6583D · no longer on the register · serial 17272876
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was about 20 feet above runway 28 during landing, when the airplane encountered a wind gust which blew it off the left side of the centerline. The pilot realigned the airplane with the centerline when a second gust "ballooned" it up and then "slammed" it back down onto the runway. The nose wheel tire "popped," subsequently collapsing the nose gear assembly. The propeller struck the ground, buckling the firewall. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane. He also reported 142 hours of total flight experience, 3 of which were in make and model. The winds were reported to be from 280 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 20 knots.
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
- Flight time: 142 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 67 as pilot in command; 76 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,591 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 4, 2004; 20 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BDR Bridgeport CT at 4:30 pm
- Destination: BDR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 4,761 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from BDR
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.