Morristown Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Morristown, New Jersey 07960
Tuesady, July 26, 1988 7:40 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE CREW WAS POSITIONING THE AIRCRAFT IN PREPARATION FOR A REVENUE FLIGHT AND EXECUTING A NON-DIRECTIONAL BEACON (NDB) APCH TO RWY 05. THE CAPTAIN REPORTED THAT THE COPILOT WAS FLYING THE ACFT. HOWEVER, THE CAPT STATED THAT HE TOOK CONTROLOF THE ACFT DURING THE APCH AND MADE SOME CONTROL CORRECTIONS BEFORE RETURNING CONTROL OF THE ACFT TO THE COPILOT. RADARDATA INDICATED THAT ACFT CONTROL WAS ERRATIC THROUGHOUT THE APCH AND THAT THE AIRSPEED AND DESCENT RATES WERE HIGH (3000 FPM SINK RATE) SHORTLY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE ACFT STRUCK A FENCE SHORT OF THE RWY AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE CAPT SAID HE REALIZED THE ACFT WAS DRIFTING LEFT OF COURSE BUT DID NOT CORRECT IT. HE SAID HE TOLD THE COPILOT TO ADD POWER TWICE DURING THE APCH. THE COPILOT'S TRAINING HISTORY INDICATED DIFFICULTY IN CONTROL, SCAN OF INSTRUMENTS, AND WITH INSTRUMENT PROCEDURES. COMPANY MANAGEMENT DESCRIBED THE CAPT AS PASSIVE AND THE COPILOT AS AGGRESSIVE. SUPERVISION OF TNG AND OPERATIONS BY MANAGEMENT AND SURVEILLANCE OF THE COMPANY BY THE FAA WAS CONSIDERED INADEQUATE BY NTSB.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/26/1988
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 740
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City MORRISTOWN
Event State NEW JERSEY
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 07960
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport MORRISTOWN
Event Location Nearest Airport ID MMU
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 187
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 746 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 160
Weather Observation Facility ID MMU
Elevation of weather observation facility 187
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
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) 4
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
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 Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1804
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 26 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 750
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38052
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 11:57AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N442NE
NTSB Number MKC88MA134
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name LEARJET
Aircraft Model 35A
Aircraft Series Identifier 35A
Aircraft Serial Number 442
Certified Max Gross Weight 18300
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 10
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Jun 29 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 72
Airframe Hours 4274
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name NORTHEAST JET COMPANY
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 6088
Aircraft Owner City ALLENTOWN
Aircraft Owner State PA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 18001
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
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) Positioning
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code ABE
Departure City ALLENTOWN
Departure State PA
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code MMU
Destination City MORRISTOWN
Destination State NJ
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 5
Runway Length 5999
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --