Piper PA-32-300 N600DK accident near Bridgeport, Connecticut

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a blast fence on final approach to land.

NTSB analysis

The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to regain night currency, which had lapsed two weeks prior. The pilot stated that he intended to fly three landing pattern approaches and perform three full stop landings. According to the pilot, the take off, and initial climbout to a left downwind were normal. The pilot reported that there was a slight haze in the vicinity of the airport. While turning to the base leg of the approach, the pilot trimmed the airplane for 90 mph and lowered the flaps to the "first notch." The pilot reported the he saw "two white lights" on the vertical approach slope indicator, which indicated that he was above the glideslope, so he adjusted the trim to maintain 80 mph and lowered the flaps to the "third notch." The airplane's left wing impacted a 12-foot-tall blast fence, which was located 20 feet from the end of the runway, resulting in the separation of the left wing from the fuselage. After the accident, the pilot stated that the blast fence was indistinguishable from the runway threshold markings. The blast fence was properly marked with red and white checker markings on the interior side and was not required to be lit by Federal Aviation Administration facility requirements. The pilot was familiar with the airport.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA11CA365 for the full record.