Cessna 172 accident near New Haven, Connecticut, May 24, 1987
On May 24, 1987 at about 4:24 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N65482, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Haven, Connecticut (New Haven airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 1987 · about 4:24 am local time
- Place
- New Haven, Connecticut · New Haven
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N65482 · no longer on the register · serial 17275761
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG A NIGHT FLT FROM NEW BEDFORD TO BRIDGEPORT, THE PLT ENCTRD VISIBILITY PROBLEMS & BELIEVED THAT FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS HIGHER THAN NORMAL. HE OBTAINED RADAR VECTORS TO NEW HAVEN. AFTER SEEING THE ARPT, HE FLEW OVER TO ESTABLISH THE RUNWAY PATTERN. HOWEVER, FUEL EXHAUSTION OCCURRED AS HE WAS FLYING OVER. HE RPRTD THAT HE WAS FORCED TO GLIDE TO A LANDING WITHOUT ESTABLISHING A NORMAL APCH. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WENT OFF THE END OF THE RWY & STRUCK A FENCE.
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: 190 hours in all; 101 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 130 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, May 22, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: New Bedford MA at 3:45 pm
- Destination: BDR Bridgeport CT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.