Beechcraft K35 N9554R
11 June 1983 · Ridgefield, Connecticut, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 11 June 1983 at about 18:05 local time, a Beechcraft K35 registered N9554R, operated by Robert W. Brooks, was involved in an accident near Ridgefield, Connecticut, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 18:05
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Ridgefield, Connecticut, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft K35
- Registration
- N9554R
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Robert W. Brooks
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Danbury → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC83FA141
People
4 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.
Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.
Read the full NTSB narrative
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, SEVERAL WITNESSES HEARD UNUSUAL SOUNDS FROM THE ACFT. ONE STATED THAT HE HEARD A SPUTTERING NOISE & THE ENG STOPPED, THEN IT RESTARTED, BUT WAS NOT SMOOTH. THE OTHER 2 WITNESSES HEARD A BACKFIRING OR SPUTTERING NOISE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT ENTERED A STEEP DESCENT & CRASHED. BEFORE THE PLANE CRASHED, THE PLT HAD TRANSMITTED A MAYDAY CALL & SAID THE ACFT WAS GOING DOWN. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL PROBLEM. EXCEPT THE LEFT FUEL CAP O-RING WAS BADLY CRACKED FROM AGE & THE TOP OF THE LEFT WING HAD SIGNS OF FUEL STREAMING (SYPHONING). PRIOR TO THIS FLT, THE ACFT HAD BEEN FLOWN FROM YOUNGSTOWN, OH TO WILKES-BARRE, PA, THEN ON TO DANBURY, CT. THE PLT HAD REPORTED THAT ON THAT TRIP, HE HAD SEEN FUEL STREAMING FROM THE LEFT WING, ALL THE WAY BACK, AND THAT HE WOULD SEE A MECHANIC ABOUT FIXING THE CAPS. THERE WAS NO RECORD THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN REFUELED AT WILKES-BARRE OR DANBURY, PRIOR TO THIS FLT. ALSO, A MECHANIC HAD PREVIOUSLY ADVISED THE OWNER TO REPLACE THE O-RINGS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Beechcraft K35 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Mar 1983 | Beechcraft K35 | Torreon, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 May 1983 | Beechcraft K35 | Fitzgerald, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Nov 1983 | Beechcraft K35 | Stockholm, New Jersey, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 7 Mar 1983 | Beechcraft K35 | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 20 Jan 1984 | Beechcraft K35 | Flagstaff, Arizona, United States | Eugene S Harris | No injuries | - |
| 14 Dec 1982 | Beechcraft K35 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | Kerley Chemical Corp. | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jan 1983 | Cessna 152 | Meriden, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jan 1983 | Cessna 152 | Danbury, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jan 1983 | Cessna 172P | Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Mar 1983 | Cessna 152 | Plainville, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Mar 1983 | Cessna T210L | New Haven, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 May 1983 | Cessna 150L | Waterford, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |