Event NYC94LA080

Factual narrative

On May 15, 1994, about 1525 eastern daylight time, a Davis DK-1, N158Y, piloted by Mr. Richard S. Patenaude, collided with a post while landing at the Goodspeed Airport, East Haddam, Connecticut. The airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was operated under 14 CFR 91. Witnesses saw the airplane make an approach to runway 14, land short of the runway, and strike a post. According to the witnesses, the landing gear collapsed, a wing struck the ground, and the airplane nosed over. According to the pilot's statement on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, after the airplane had crossed the airport boundary, "...at an altitude estimated to be 3 feet. I felt a violent bump to the right landing gear which caused the aircraft to yaw to the right." The pilot wrote in his statement: ...close scrutiny revealed that 3 inches at the bottom curvature of the right tire impacted on the top of an eight inch diameter wood post. The post, one of a series of such posts which demarcate [separate] the boundary between the airport and an dirt roadway...appeared to be a section of a utility pole buried about three feet into the sandy soil, and extending about two feet above local ground level...I was generally aware of the changes to the facilities at Goodspeed, but had never recognized the hazard to a low approach presented by this row of poles. WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE MAKE AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 14, LAND SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, STRIKE ONE OF A SERIES OF 2 FEET HIGH FENCE POSTS SEPARATED THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE AIRPORT AND A DIRT ROADWAY. THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S STATEMENT, '...AT AN ALTITUDE ESTIMATED TO BE 3 FEET. I FELT A VIOLENT BUMP TO THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO YAW TO THE RIGHT.' THE PILOT WROTE THAT HE HAD BEEN INTO THE AIRPORT MANY TIMES AND, '...I WAS GENERALLY AWARE OF THE CHANGES OF THE FACILITIES.. . BUT HAD NEVER RECOGNIZED THE HAZARD TO A LOW APPROACH PRESENTED BY THIS ROW OF POLES.' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12