Yakovlev YAK-52 accident near Washington, CT
On September 11, 2001, a Yakovlev YAK-52 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Washington, CT. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 11, 2001
- Place
- Washington, CT
- Aircraft
- Yakovlev YAK-52 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 41.630°N, 73.279°W
- NTSB ID
- 20010926X01997
NTSB summary
On September 10, 2001, at 2023 eastern daylight time, an experimental Yakovlev YAK-52, N1189N, was destroyed when it collided with terrain near Washington, Connecticut. The certificated commercial pilot was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed for the cross-country flight that originated from the Wurtsboro Sullivan County Airport (N82), Wurtsboro, New York, destined for the Providence, Rhode Island, area. No flight plan was filed, and the flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot purchased the airplane a couple of days before the accident from an individual in Arlington, Washington, and was in the process of flying it to Providence. The accident occurred during the last leg of the cross-country flight. The airplane was equipped for IMC flight, but the person that executed the sale warned the pilot not to fly in IMC or night VFR because the layout of the instrument panel was different from the airplanes the pilot normally flew. In addition, he stated that the odds would have been against a pilot unfamiliar with an airplane that had touchy controls, and a roll rate like the accident airplane. Examination of the wreckage by the FAA inspector revealed that the airplane crashed in an area of wooded mountains. The down angle from the initial tree strikes to the main impact crater was approximately 40 degrees. The airframe was fragmented, and the majority of its structure was destroyed in a post crash fire. Flight control continuity could not be confirmed because of impact a
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control. Factors in the accident were the dark night, reduced visibility, and the pilot's decision to conduct VFR operations at night in adverse weather conditions.
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Browse: Connecticut
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
