# Accident 19890301002899A: Piper PA31350, Toms River, NJ, March 1, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 1, 1989, 19:51 local time
- Place: Toms River, NJ
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: CTGA
- Location: 39.9537° N, 74.1979° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Toms River, NJ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.9537&lon=-74.1979&mi=10
- Aircraft: N40978, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N40978) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31350
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,300 total, 300 in this make and model, 120 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC89FA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC89FA093) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890301002899A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

REPORTED RUNAWAY PITCH DOWN TRIM. CIRCUIT BOARD INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. EXACT CAUSE UNKNOWN. PULL UP CAUSED DAMAGE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC89FA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC89FA093), Mar 2, 1989: Piper PA-31-350 (N40978), Toms River, NJ, substantial damage. Probable cause: 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…

## Other reports on N40978 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20060711022179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060711022179A), Jul 11, 2006: Piper PA31350 (N40978), Indianapolis, IN, Substantial damage. (-23) On July 11, 2006, airnet inc. flight #503, PA31, while taxiing at ind collided with a tug vehicle at the intersection between taxiway delta and the…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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