Piper PA-24 accident near Ellington, Connecticut, December 28, 1985
On December 28, 1985 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-24, registered N7571P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ellington, Connecticut (Ellington airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- December 28, 1985 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ellington, Connecticut · Ellington
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24 · all PA-24s on the register
- Registration
- N7571P · registry record · serial 24-2782
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON APCH FOR LANDING, ABOUT 50 FT FROM THE RWY, THE LANDING GEAR CONTACTED A BRIDGE AND THE ACFT BOUNCED INTO THE AIR. PWR WAS ADDED AT THIS TIME AND AGAIN THE ACFT BOUNCED. THE ACFT WAS THEN LANDED ON THE RWY AND IT SKIDDED TO A STOP. THE PLT STATED SHE INTENTIONALLY MADE A LOW, SLOW APCH BECAUSE THE RWY WAS SHORT. SHE ALSO REPORTED THE ACFT LANDING LIGHT WAS NOT USED DURING THE APCH.
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: 225 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 80 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,653 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 10, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Torrington CT at 9:50 pm
- Destination: Ellington CT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 1,900 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 NYC86LA055.