Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Toms River, New Jersey 08754
Wednesday, March 1, 1989 19:51 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE ACFT WAS CRUISING AT 8500 FT WHEN IT EXPERIENCED AN INFLT LOSS OF CONTROL. THE PLT SAID THE AUTOPILOT PITCH TRIM RAN AWAY NOSE DOWN & HE WAS UNABLE TO DISCONNECT THE AUTOPILOT PRIOR TO THE LOSS OF CONTROL. EXAM OF THE ACFT SHOWED THE LEFT ELEVATOR HORN WAS BENT DOWN & THE RIGHT ELEVATOR HORN WAS BROKEN OFF. THE AUTOPILOT WAS EXAMINED & ALL DISCONNECTS EXCEPT FOR THE ACCELEROMETER TEST FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE PITCH TRIM BOARD WAS FOUND IMPROPERLY INSTALLED IN THE AUTO PILOT & DID NOT MAKE CONNECTION. WITH THE ALTITUDE HOLD ENGAGED, THE AUTOPILOT WOULD HOLD THE ELEVATOR POSITION AT TIME OF ENGAGEMENT & TRIM TO KEEP THE FORCES NEUTRAL. IF THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED, IT WOULD LOSE ALTITUDE & TRIM NOSE UP. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE ACFT STARTED TO SLOW, THEN DESCENDED FROM 8500 TO 8300 FT, THEN CLIMBED TO 8900 FT. THE ACFT THEN CAME DOWN VERY RAPIDLY TO 1700 FT PRIOR TO A RECOVERY. RPRTDLY, THE PLT DID NOT TEST THE AUTOPLT BEFORE TAKEOFF. .
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED AND CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND HIS EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: AUTOPLT MALFUNCTION DUE TO IMPROPER INSTALLATION BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PREFLIGHT THE AUTOPILOT BEFORE USING IT IN FLIGHT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/1/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1951 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | TOMS RIVER |
| Event State | NEW JERSEY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 08754 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| 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) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1633 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 2 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1115 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 40518 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:32PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N40978 |
| NTSB Number | NYC89FA093 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-31-350 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-31-350 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 31-8152199 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7000 |
| 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 | 8 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 25 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 5 |
| Airframe Hours | 4131 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RANGER AIR INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | BRAINARD AIRPORT |
| Aircraft Owner City | HARTFORD |
| Aircraft Owner State | CT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 06114 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | FALCON FLIGHT CENTER |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | HARTFORD-BRAINARD AIRPORT |
| Operator City | HARTFORD |
| Operator State | CT |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 06114 |
| Operator Code | SXCA |
| 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) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | HFD |
| Departure City | HARTFORD |
| Departure State | CT |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1930 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ACY |
| Destination City | ATLANTIC CITY |
| Destination State | NJ |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |