NTSB NYC90FA011 — 1989-10-11 · GLASTONBURY, Connecticut, United States

N4106W has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (DJI AGRAS T100), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N4106W Piper PA-32-300 Fatal

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ALTITUDE CONTROL DURING MANEUVERING FLIGHT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE AIRPLANE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND THE PILOT'S OPERATION AT NIGHT, WITHOUT EMERGENCY LIGHTING (FLASHLIGHT).

Factual narrative

THE PILOTS REPORTED SIX MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT AND INDICATED THEY WERE HAVING A COMMUNICATIONS PROBLEM AND WERE USING A HANDHELD RADIO. THE FLIGHT WAS ISSUED TRAFFIC FROM THE TOWER AND GIVEN CLEARANCE TO LAND AT THE AIRPORT. THE PILOTS INDICATED TO THE TOWER THEY MIGHT HAVE TO GO AROUND. THE TOWER ISSUED THEM INSTRUCTIONS TO GO AROUND, MAKE A RIGHT 360 DEGREE TURN, AND REPORT BACK ON FINAL. THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN MAKING A SLOW DESCENDING RIGHT TURN. AFTER 120 DEGREES OF TURN, IT DISAPPEARED BELOW THE TREELINE. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED OVER UNLIT, WOODED TERRAIN DURING THE HOURS OF DARKNESS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_NYC90FA011.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.