Cessna 152 N4708M

Summary

On 8 October 1990 at about 01:10 local time, a Cessna 152 registered N4708M, operated by Spence, David A., was involved in an accident near Griswold, Connecticut, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 October 1990 at 01:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Griswold, Connecticut, United States

Nearest airport

Lake Side (5B4)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 152

Registration

N4708M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Spence, David A.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Griswold → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

NYC91FA006

2 people died.

A BROKEN EHAUST VALVE SPRING THAT RESULTED IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN, AND FAILURE OF THE OCCUPANTS TO USE THEIR SHOULDER HARNESSES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT & PSGR WERE ON A LOCAL FLT AT NGT. PSNL AT THE ARPT NOTED THAT THE RWY LIGHTS HAD BEEN ACTIVATED, BUT NO ACFT WAS SEEN TO LAND. THE ACFT WAS FND THE NEXT MORNING ABOUT 6 MI NORTHEAST OF THE ARPT, WHERE IT HAD HIT TREES & CRASHED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED IT HAD IMPACTED TREES, WHILE IN A SHALLOW DSCNT. A LACK OF ROTATIONAL SCARRING WAS NOTED ON THE PROP; ONLY 1 BLADE WAS DEFORMED & ONLY 1 BLADE CONTAINED LEADING EDGE NICKS. THE FLAPS WERE FND IN THE FULLY EXTENDED (30 DEG) POSITION, BUT THE FLAP INDICATOR SHOWED ONLY 10 DEGS OF FLAPS. ABOUT 8 GAL OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN EACH WING TANK. A CHECK OF THE ENG REVEALED A LACK OF COMPRESSION IN THE #3 CYLINDER DUE TO A BROKEN EXHAUST VALVE SPRING. NO OTHER PRE-ACDNT ANOMALIES WERE FND. THE PLT & PSGR WERE NOT WEARING THEIR AVAILABLE SHOULDER HARNESSES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.