- Date
- August 8, 1985, 21:40 local (Aug 9, 1985, 01:40 UTC)
- Place
- Cape May, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3462MPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850808037739A
- Case key
- 35576
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Crew members of a coast guard helicopter, observed an acft flying at about 1500 ft above the water. According to them, the acft pitched down into a 60 to 70 deg nose low attitude & collided with the water. The helicopter was immediately flown to the acdnt site; however, the downed acft could not be seen. Later, the fatally injured plt & debris from the acft were found, but the main wreckage was not located.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3462M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 287816344
- Airframe hours
- 6,309
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Southern Jersey Aviation
- Registered owner
- Kenneth H. Ross
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 18, 1985 · 517 hours before
- Departed
- ILG · Wilmington, DE
- Destination
- 26N · Ocean City, NJ
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 306 total · 118 in this make and model · 218 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ACY, 33 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.