20021115037832A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32R-300 · Caldwell, NJ · November 15, 2002

Date
November 15, 2002 · 19:08 local
Place
Caldwell, NJ
Airport
Essex County Airport
Phase of flight
In Traffic Pattern-Circling
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Midair collision, second aircraft
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N216CL
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC03FA021
Reported as
Piper PA32R300
Reported engine
Lycoming IO540K1G5D
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
653 total334 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On November 15, 2002, at 1908 eastern standard time, a Mooney M10 (cadet), N9502V, and a Piper PA-32R-300 (lance), N216CL, were substantially damaged when they collided during an approach to Essex County Airport (cdw), Caldwell, new jersey. The certificated private pilot in the Mooney, and the certificated private pilot in the Piper were fatally injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for either flight. The personal flights were conducted under 14 CFR, part 91, the Mooney had been conducting touch-and-go landings on runway 22 at cdw. The Piper departed alexandria airport (N85), pittstown, new jersey, about 1830. At 1905, the pilot of the Piper established communication with the air traffic control tower (actc), and reported that he was about 7.5 miles west of the airport at 2,500 feet msi. The tower controller acknowledged the transmission, and instructed the pilot of the Piper to report a right downwind for runway 22. There were no further communications between the controller and the pilot of the Piper. At the time of the collision, the tower controller was in communication with six airplanes, including the two accident airplanes. The pilot of the Mooney had just completed a go-around; and was climbing and turning northwest onto a crosswind leg for runway 22. The Piper was entering the traffic pattern from the west, traveling in an easterly direction, but had not reached the downwind leg. The airplanes collided at an altitude of approximately 1,300 feet msi. The final forensic toxicology report(-23 amendment) the final forensic toxicology report for Mr. Disarro indicates barbituates were discovered during chemical screening, the following substances were detected: 0.4 (ug/ml, ug/g) butalbital detected in urine;0.609 (ug/ml, ug/g) butalbital detected in blood; chlorpheniramine detected in urine; diphenhydramine present in urine; diphenhydramine detected in liver; metoprolol detected in urine; metoprolol detected in liver.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON NOVEMBER 15, 2002, AT 1908 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A MOONEY M10 (CADET), N9502V, AND A PIPER PA-32R-300 (LANCE), N216CL, WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN THEY COLLIDED DURING AN APPROACH TO ESSEX COUNTY AIRPORT (CDW), CALDWELL, NEW JERSEY. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT IN THE MOONEY, AND THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT IN THE PIPER WERE FATALLY INJURED. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR EITHER FLIGHT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHTS WERE CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR, PART 91, THE MOONEY HAD BEEN CONDUCTING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS ON RUNWAY 22 AT CDW. THE PIPER DEPARTED ALEXANDRIA AIRPORT (N85), PITTSTOWN, NEW JERSEY, ABOUT 1830. AT 1905, THE PILOT OF THE PIPER ESTABLISHED COMMUNICATION WITH THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER (ACTC), AND REPORTED THAT HE WAS ABOUT 7.5 MILES WEST OF THE AIRPORT AT 2,500 FEET MSI. THE TOWER CONTROLLER ACKNOWLEDGED THE TRANSMISSION, AND INSTRUCTED THE PILOT OF THE PIPER TO REPORT A RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 22. THERE WERE NO FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE CONTROLLER AND THE PILOT OF THE PIPER. AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION, THE TOWER CONTROLLER WAS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SIX AIRPLANES, INCLUDING THE TWO ACCIDENT AIRPLANES. THE PILOT OF THE MOONEY HAD JUST COMPLETED A GO-AROUND; AND WAS CLIMBING AND TURNING NORTHWEST ONTO A CROSSWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 22. THE PIPER WAS ENTERING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FROM THE WEST, TRAVELING IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION, BUT HAD NOT REACHED THE DOWNWIND LEG. THE AIRPLANES COLLIDED AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 1,300 FEET MSI. THE FINAL FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY REPORT(-23 AMENDMENT) THE FINAL FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY REPORT FOR MR. DISARRO INDICATES BARBITUATES WERE DISCOVERED DURING CHEMICAL SCREENING, THE FOLLOWING SUBSTANCES WERE DETECTED: 0.4 (UG/ML, UG/G) BUTALBITAL DETECTED IN URINE;0.609 (UG/ML, UG/G) BUTALBITAL DETECTED IN BLOOD; CHLORPHENIRAMINE DETECTED IN URINE; DIPHENHYDRAMINE PRESENT IN URINE; DIPHENHYDRAMINE DETECTED IN LIVER; METOPROLOL DETECTED IN URINE; METOPROLOL DETECTED IN LIVER.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.