Beech 58PA accident near Danbury, Connecticut, August 28, 1983
On August 28, 1983 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Beech 58PA, registered N158JB, was destroyed in an accident near Danbury, Connecticut (Danbury airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1983 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Danbury, Connecticut · Danbury
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58PA · all 58PAs on the register
- Registration
- N158JB · registry record · serial T J32
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
INBOUND TO DANBURY THE PLT WAS ADVISED THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED, & WAS GIVEN THE LAST WX WHICH WAS AN HOUR OLD. THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO PASS OVER THE ARPT 300-400 FT AGL & CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 8. THE ACFT TURNED BASE & FINAL IN A TIGHT TURN WITH THE GEAR DOWN. IT DROPPED QUICKLY & HIT THE THRESHOLD LEFT WING FIRST, THEN PANCAKED & SKIDDED ONTO THE GRASS.ONE WITNESS ESTIMATED THE WX AS 300 FT SOLID & 1/2 MI WITH SOLID SHEETS OF RAIN. THE MDA IS 1960 FT (1500 FT AGL) WHEN THE TOWER IS CLOSED. THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 118 LBS OVER MAX GROSS WEIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,366 hours in all; 556 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, November 1, 1982
- Maximum gross weight: 5,995 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ACK Nantucket MA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 8, 4,419 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from DXR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 3 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC83FA228.