Cessna P210N accident near Groton, Connecticut, January 25, 1984
On January 25, 1984 at about 3:39 am local time, a Cessna P210N, registered N900FE, was destroyed in an accident near Groton, Connecticut (Groton-New London airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 1984 · about 3:39 am local time
- Place
- Groton, Connecticut · Groton-New London
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210N · all P210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N900FE · no longer on the register · serial 00514
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS BLOWN OFF COURSE DURING A PROCEDURE TURN FOR AN ILS APPROACH. THE PLT MADE A MISSED APPROACH BECAUSE OF THEMISALIGNMENT AND TRIED A NON STANDARD MEANS OF ORIENTATION FOR THE 2ND ATTEMPT AND INTERCEPTED THE MIDDLE MARKER UNEXPECTEDLY. RADAR SHOWS THE ACFT BEGAN A RAPID DESCENT AND RIGHT TURN. THE WEATHER HAD DETERIORATED TO BELOW MINIMUMS AFTER THE PLTS LAST WEATHER REPORT OF A 600 FT CEILING. THE ACFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AFTER THE PLT DECLARED A 2ND MISSED APPROACH.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,205 hours in all; 410 in this make and model; 76 in the last 90 days; 2,026 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 780 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1983; 210 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UGN Waukegan IL
- Destination: GON Groton CT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 190° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 am from GON, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.