Cirrus Design SR22 accident near Hartford, Connecticut, October 5, 2007
On October 5, 2007 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cirrus Design SR22, registered N5205X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hartford, Connecticut (Hartford-Brainard 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 adequate clearance from a parked airplane while taxiing. Contributing to the accident was the proximity of the parked airplanes to the taxiway and the failure of the marshaller to provide adequate guidance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 2007 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hartford, Connecticut · Hartford-Brainard · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cirrus Design SR22
- Registration
- N5205X · no longer on the register · serial 0380
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged when it struck four parked airplanes while taxiing for parking after landing. According to the pilot, he initially received taxi instructions from the air traffic control tower, and then was guided by marshallers who used hand signals to convey further instructions. A nearby aviation convention resulted in additional aircraft at the airport, and airplanes were parked on the grass along the right side of the taxiway. The marshaller stated that he instructed the pilot to slow down, but that the airplane "continued approximately 300 feet," until it collided with a parked airplane. The passenger stated that at the time of the initial collision, the airplane was traveling at a speed of approximately 10 to 12 knots, and that just prior to the initial collision, he informed the pilot that he was "too far to the right." The right wing tip of the accident airplane struck the propeller and spinner of an unoccupied SR22 that was parked facing the taxiway. The impact caused the pilot's hand to advance the throttle, then the accident airplane turned rapidly to the right and struck three additional parked airplanes. Subsequent to the accident, the pilot stated that being on the taxiway centerline gave him a false sense of security, that his "gaze and attention shifted" to the marshaller, and that he failed to recognize that he would not clear the parked airplanes unless he deviated significantly from the centerline. The pilot did not report any brake or steering system malfunctions and there was no indication that the marshaller signaled the pilot to deviate from the centerline to avoid the collision. On-site measurements confirmed that maintaining the taxiway centerline would result in minimal or no clearance with the parked airplanes.
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: 1,100 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,040 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 10, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 960 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2005; 105 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-550 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N51 Readington NY at 5:45 pm
- Destination: HFD Hartford CT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from HFD
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.