Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Lincoln Park Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lincoln Park, New Jersey 07035
Monday, March 24, 1997 19:30 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that when he entered the traffic pattern at an uncontrolled airport, the runway lights were illuminated. On final approach, the runway lights extinguished. He clicked the microphone 5 times, and the runway lights reappeared. He remembered nothing else until he woke up in the airplane and climbed out of the wreckage. The airplane had struck a tree about 83 feet high, and 1,306 feet from the displaced threshold of the landing runway. A check of the pilot controlled lighting found that although the lights would stay illuminated longer than the required minimum of 15 minutes, it was possible to extinguish the lights if an attempt was made to reset the timer. According to the FAA publications (Airman Information Manual) and (Advisory Circular 150/5340-27A), the cycle of illumination, once initiated, should not be able to be interrupted. The pilot reported in a telephone interview that he should have gone around rather than attempt to get the runway lights illuminated again.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate obstacle clearance due to his diverted attention in attempting to re-illuminate the runway lights, which resulted in an inflight collision with a tree.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/24/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1930 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | LINCOLN PARK |
| Event State | NEW JERSEY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 07035 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | LINCOLN PARK |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | N07 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 182 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1845 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 353 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CDW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 173 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 409 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 24 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2110 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:10PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3604W |
| NTSB Number | NYC97LA063 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32-260 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32-260 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-502 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 27 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 77 |
| Airframe Hours | 3965 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RONALD SAGLIMBENE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 554 LEE COURT |
| Aircraft Owner City | WYCKOFF |
| Aircraft Owner State | NJ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 07481 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | WALTER C COROCCO |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 76 MALCOLM ROAD |
| Operator City | MAHWAH |
| Operator State | NJ |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 07430 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MGJ |
| Departure City | MONTGOMERY |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1830 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | N07 |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 1 |
| Runway Length | 2942 |
| Runway Width | 40 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |