Piper PA-34-200T accident near Bridgeport, Connecticut, April 18, 1990
On April 18, 1990 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200T, registered N132CP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bridgeport, Connecticut (Sikorsky Mem. airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING A CROSSWIND LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 1990 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bridgeport, Connecticut · Sikorsky Mem. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200T · all PA-34-200Ts on the register
- Registration
- N132CP · registry record · serial 34-7970454
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PIPER PA-34-200T WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 29 WITH REPORTED WINDS FROM 330 DEGREES AT 12 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 19 KNOTS. DURING LANDING ROLL OUT, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AND THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE DIRECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING LANDING ROLL OUT. THE FAA CHECKED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND NO PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES OR FLIGHT CONTROLS.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,761 hours in all; 2,036 in this make and model; 87 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 2,626 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,940 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 1989; 204 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-EB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AVP Scranton PA at 6:07 pm
- Destination: BDR Stratford CT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 4,761 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from BDR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N132CP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 NYC90LA089.