20051105028821A

(-23) MID AIR COLLISION OVER ALPHA NJ ON 11/05/05 INVOLVING AIRCRAFT NUMBERS N6384E, AN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT, ZODIAC 601 AND N7467T, A CESSNA 172A. THE CE-172 SUSTAINED MINIMAL DAMAGE AND WAS LANDED IN A FIELD BY THE UNINJURED PILOT. THE ZODIAC 601 SUSTAINED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE RH WING AND THE COCKPIT AREA. THE PILOT REMAINED IN THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A REMOTE WOODED AREA NEAR INTERSTATE 78. A SECTION OF THE RH WING WAS ON INTERSTATE 78 AND WAS REMOVED BY THE NJ STATE POLICE TO RESTORE THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. THE SECTION OF WING WAS LATER TAKEN TO THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS AT ALPHA, NJ. THE INVESTIGATION WAS TERMINATED AFTER SUNSET AND BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE GUARDED THROUGH THE NIGHT BY THE ALPHA POLICE DEPARTMENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WITH THE NTSB WAS ON SCENE LATER THAT NIGHT AND THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUED AT APPROXIMATELY 0800 HRS SUNDAY MORNING. DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY WE LOCATED SEVERAL PIECES OF THE MISSING WING AND DISCOVERED THAT A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE RH WING SPAR WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE. PROPELLER STRIKE MARKS WERE DISCOVERED IN THE UPPER INBOARD WING AND THE FUSELAGE NEAR THE COCKPIT. THERE WAS PAINT TRANSFER FROM THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WHEEL PANT ON THE RH LEADING EDGE AT THE FUEL TANK. THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING AND ALL GATHERED INFORMATION WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE NTSB.