Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Manahawkin, New Jersey 08050
Wednesday, May 31, 2006 10:41 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Prior to departing on the accident flight, the pilot contacted flight service and obtained a weather briefing. During the briefing, the pilot was advised of an AIRMET for instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) that extended across the intended route of flight, and that visual flight rules (VFR) flight was not recommended. The pilot was further advised that some of the stations along the route of flight were beginning to report VFR conditions, and that terminal area forecasts called for the weather to improve. As the pilot approached the destination airport, he contacted air traffic control, and upon hearing that the weather at his intended destination was IMC, he elected to return to his departure airport. While in the process of being radar identified, the airplane descended 1,300 feet in 4 seconds, before radar contact was lost. Witnesses observed the airplane descend out of the clouds and saw pieces of the airplane falling to the ground before it impacted trees and terrain. The outboard portions of both wings and both outboard portions of the horizontal stabilizer were located between 1,000 and 2,000 feet from the main wreckage. Examination of the fracture surfaces revealed signatures consistent with overload failure in the positive, or upward, direction. No pre-impact mechanical deficiencies with the airplane were noted. Review of visible satellite weather imagery revealed the presence of clouds along the coastal area near the accident site, and an airport 21 nautical miles southwest reported an overcast ceiling at 700 feet.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The noninstrument-rated pilot's inadvertent VFR cruise flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his subsequent loss of aircraft control, which resulted in his exeeding the design stress limits of the airplane, and an in-flight separation of the wings and horizontal stabilizer.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/31/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1041 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Manahawkin |
| Event State | NEW JERSEY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 08050 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 394036N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0741343W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NONE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1054 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 64 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ACY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 75 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 21 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 700 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 700 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Overcast |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.2 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 21136 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA EROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 31 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 26 2007 9:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Philadelphia FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N48ED |
| NTSB Number | NYC06FA133 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-236 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7911181 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1600 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Aviron Aviation LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | North Plainfield |
| Aircraft Owner State | NJ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 07060 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | 3N6 |
| Departure City | Old Bridge |
| Departure State | NJ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1015 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | AIY |
| Destination City | Atlantic City |
| Destination State | NJ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 23 2007 3:52PM |
| User who most recently changed record | ANDJ |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |