Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Sparta, New Jersey 01787
Saturday, August 1, 1987 14:10 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO FLY NEAR POWER LINES, THEN ROLL INVERTED, CRASH & BURN IN A WOODED AREA. THE 4 OCCUPANTS RCVD MULTIPLE IMPACT INJURIES WHICH WERE FATAL. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT & POST CRASH FIRE. SVRL WITNESSES RPRTD THE ENG POWER WAS INTERMITTENT, BUT NO REASON WAS FND FOR THE RPRTD POWER LOSS. ALTHOUGH SOME WITNESSES ON THE GROUND THOUGHT THE ACFT STRUCK THE POWER LINES, AN AIRBORNE WITNESS (WHO SAW THE ACDNT) SAID IT DID HIT THE LINES. NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF A POWER LINE STRIKE WAS FOUND. TOXICOLOGY CHECKS OF THE PLT SHOWED MEASURABLE LVLS OF ALCOHOL & BUTALBITAL. CHECKS OF HIS LIVER TISSUE AT 2 LABS SHOWED APRX 0.07% ALCOHOL, ALTHOUGH A 3RD LAB ONLY DETECTED ALCOHOL (0.05%) IN KIDNEY TISSUE. THE PLT'S WIFE SAID HE HAD USED FIORINAL, A PRESCRIPTION DRUG FOR HEADACHES. BUTALBITAL IS AN ACTIVE INGREDIENT OF FIORINAL & IS A BARBITURATE WITH SIDE EFFECTS OF DROWSINESS & LOSS OF ALERTNESS. ALSO, THE EFFECTS OF BUTALBITAL ARE ADDITIVE WITH THOSE OF ALCOHOL. ON 10/28/85 (DATE OF MED CERT), THE PLT RPRTD HE HAD 400 HRS OF FLT TIME.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/1/1987
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1410
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City SPARTA
Event State NEW JERSEY
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 01787
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 8
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 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 1411
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 Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
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) 0
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 4
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2248
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 1 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1417
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 35888
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N735DS
NTSB Number NYC87FA215
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 182Q
Aircraft Series Identifier 182Q
Aircraft Serial Number 18265347
Certified Max Gross Weight 2950
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Feb 4 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 2
Airframe Hours 710
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ROBERT MORSE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 5 MARLA TERRACE
Aircraft Owner City FLANDERS
Aircraft Owner State NJ
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
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 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 12N
Departure City ANDOVER
Departure State NJ
Departure Country
Departure Time 1405
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --