Event NYC83FA242

Factual narrative

DURING ARRIVAL, THE PLT CONTACTED APCH CONTROL & WAS PROVIDED RADAR VECTORS FOR A VISUAL APCH. WHILE ON THE APCH, HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO KEEP HIS SPEED UP UNTIL HE WAS 1 1/2 MI ON FINAL. VECTORS WERE PROVIDE WITH TURNS AS NECESSARY UNTIL THE ACFT WAS 6 1/2 TO 7 MI FROM THE RWY. AT THAT TIME, THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. HE WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO PROCEED INBOUND FOR RWY 32 & TO KEEP HIS SPEED UP AS LONG AS FEASIBLE. THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, RADIO & RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST. A NUMBER OF WITNESSES HEARD & SAW THE ACFT AT A FASTER THAN NORMAL SPEED. SEVERAL SAW THE ACFT & DEBRIS FALLING AFTER AN IN-FLT BREAKUP OCCURRED. EVIDENCE WAS FOUND THAT THE WINGS & RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER HAD SEPARATED DOWNWARD & THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER HAD SEPARATED UPWARD. THE AILERON, RUDDER & STABILIZER BALANCE WTS WERE STILL IN PLACE. RADAR DATA REVEALED THAT THE GROUND SPEED ON FINAL APCH HAD INCREASED TO 208 KTS. THE NEVER EXCEED SPEED (VNE) WAS 189 KCAS & 197 KIAS. ANOTHER PLT REPORTED LGT TO MOD TURB. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12