Piper PA-28R-200 accident near New Haven, Connecticut, December 4, 1993
On December 4, 1993 at about 11:57 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N1488X, was destroyed in an accident near New Haven, Connecticut (Tweed-New Haven airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING A NIGHT APPROACH IN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND DARK NIGHT. IN ADDITION, THE RADAR CONTROLLER'S VECTORING OF THE PILOT TO THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE WAS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH ATC PROCEDURES, THE RADAR CONROLLER ISSUED THE PILOT AN ALTITUDE WHICH WAS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROCEDURES, AND THE RADAR CONTROLLER FAILED TO PROVIDE RADAR MONITORING AS OUTLINED IN IN ATC HANDBOOK 7110.65H.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 4, 1993 · about 11:57 pm local time
- Place
- New Haven, Connecticut · Tweed-New Haven
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N1488X · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7535297
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ABOUT 30 MIN BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT WAS ADVISED TO EXPECT AN ILS RWY 2, AND HE BEGAN RECEIVING VECTORS FOR THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE. AT 8 MIN BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, AND ABOUT 12 MI FROM THE INITIAL APPROACH FIX, THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR ILS RWY 2 TO CIRCLE TO RWY 20. AT ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE INITIAL APPROACH FIX THE PILOT WAS AGAIN CLEARED FOR THE ILS RWY 2 TO CIRCLE TO RWY 20. WHILE ON THE LOCALIZER THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED 'CIRCLING TO AH TO TWO ZERO.' THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE WATER 4.5 MI FROM THE AIRPORT. AN ATR-42 PILOT WHO HAD JUST LANDED STATED THAT CONDITIONS WERE 'ROUGH AND TURBULENT, ESPECIALLY AT TRAFFIC PATTERN ALTITUDE.' THE PILOT HAD OBTAINED HIS INSTRUMENT RATING 4-1/2 MOS BEFORE 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 228 hours in all; 14 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,198 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 9, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ACK Nantucket MA at 10:22 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 20, 5,600 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,100 ft; scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from HVN
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.
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.