Piper PA-46-350P accident near Hartford, Connecticut, December 22, 2004
On December 22, 2004 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-350P, registered N714KL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hartford, Connecticut (Hartford Brainard Airport). It was a flight test 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 adequate clearance from trees during the approach to the runway. A factor related to the accident was the nighttime conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 22, 2004 · about 10:30 pm local time · cases in 2004
- Place
- Hartford, Connecticut · Hartford Brainard Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-350P · all PA-46-350Ps on the register
- Registration
- N714KL · registry record · serial 46-36328
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the airplane was approaching the airport in nighttime conditions, the passenger alerted the pilot that they were low, and he subsequently lost visual contact with the runway. The airplane then impacted trees located about 2 miles from the runway threshold. The pilot continued the approach, and landed uneventfully. Examination of the airplane revealed spar damage to the leading edge of the left wing, and damage to the left landing gear door, the left flap, and the left horizontal stabilizer. The left wing outboard recognition light was also damaged, and the light fixture cavity contained numerous tree buds.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,002 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 25 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 260 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2004; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HFD Hartford CT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 4,417 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from HFD, 2 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N714KL on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-46 Malibu, Mirage, Matrix and M-Class 1,693 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,847 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 5,077 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Hartford-Brainard Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Connecticut 521 since 1982 · 67 in the last ten years
- Connecticut 1,607 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/NYC05LA040.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.