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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

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August 1, 1987 · Cessna 182Q · N735DS

Sparta, NJ

Overview

Report Status
Preliminary report
Event Type
Accident
Date
August 1, 1987
Injury Outcomes
4 injuries (4 fatalities)
Location
Sparta, NJ
Aircraft
Cessna 182Q
Tail Number
N735DS
Injuries
Fatal
Aircraft Damage
Destroyed
NTSB Number
NYC87FA215

THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO FLY NEAR POWER LINES, THEN ROLL INVERTED, CRASH & BURN IN A WOODED AREA. THE 4 OCCUPANTS RCVD MULTIPLE IMPACT INJURIES WHICH WERE FATAL. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT & POST CRASH FIRE. SVRL WITNESSES RPRTD THE ENG POWER WAS INTERMITTENT, BUT NO REASON WAS FND FOR THE RPRTD POWER LOSS. ALTHOUGH SOME WITNESSES ON THE GROUND THOUGHT THE ACFT STRUCK THE POWER LINES, AN AIRBORNE WITNESS (WHO SAW THE ACDNT) SAID IT DID HIT THE LINES. NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF A POWER LINE STRIKE WAS FOUND. TOXICOLOGY CHECKS OF THE PLT SHOWED MEASURABLE LVLS OF ALCOHOL & BUTALBITAL. CHECKS OF HIS LIVER TISSUE AT 2 LABS SHOWED APRX 0.07% ALCOHOL, ALTHOUGH A 3RD LAB ONLY DETECTED ALCOHOL (0.05%) IN KIDNEY TISSUE. THE PLT'S WIFE SAID HE HAD USED FIORINAL, A PRESCRIPTION DRUG FOR HEADACHES. BUTALBITAL IS AN ACTIVE INGREDIENT OF FIORINAL & IS A BARBITURATE WITH SIDE EFFECTS OF DROWSINESS & LOSS OF ALERTNESS. ALSO, THE EFFECTS OF BUTALBITAL ARE ADDITIVE WITH THOSE OF ALCOHOL. ON 10/28/85 (DATE OF MED CERT), THE PLT RPRTD HE HAD 400 HRS OF FLT TIME.

Full Narrative

THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO FLY NEAR POWER LINES, THEN ROLL INVERTED, CRASH & BURN IN A WOODED AREA. THE 4 OCCUPANTS RCVD MULTIPLE IMPACT INJURIES WHICH WERE FATAL. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT & POST CRASH FIRE. SVRL WITNESSES RPRTD THE ENG POWER WAS INTERMITTENT, BUT NO REASON WAS FND FOR THE RPRTD POWER LOSS. ALTHOUGH SOME WITNESSES ON THE GROUND THOUGHT THE ACFT STRUCK THE POWER LINES, AN AIRBORNE WITNESS (WHO SAW THE ACDNT) SAID IT DID HIT THE LINES. NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF A POWER LINE STRIKE WAS FOUND. TOXICOLOGY CHECKS OF THE PLT SHOWED MEASURABLE LVLS OF ALCOHOL & BUTALBITAL. CHECKS OF HIS LIVER TISSUE AT 2 LABS SHOWED APRX 0.07% ALCOHOL, ALTHOUGH A 3RD LAB ONLY DETECTED ALCOHOL (0.05%) IN KIDNEY TISSUE. THE PLT'S WIFE SAID HE HAD USED FIORINAL, A PRESCRIPTION DRUG FOR HEADACHES. BUTALBITAL IS AN ACTIVE INGREDIENT OF FIORINAL & IS A BARBITURATE WITH SIDE EFFECTS OF DROWSINESS & LOSS OF ALERTNESS. ALSO, THE EFFECTS OF BUTALBITAL ARE ADDITIVE WITH THOSE OF ALCOHOL. ON 10/28/85 (DATE OF MED CERT), THE PLT RPRTD HE HAD 400 HRS OF FLT TIME.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time14:10 EDT
Nearest Airport0nm N
Runway0
Runway Length0
Runway Width0
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireGrd
Aircraft ExplosionGrd

Aircraft

AircraftCessna 182Q
Tail NumberN735DS
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageDestroyed
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsContinental · O-470-U · Reciprocating · 230
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury Summary4 injuries (4 fatalities)
Fatal4
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured0
Total4
Crew 1Age 48 · Third Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
WindCalm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point0 C / 0 C
Altimeter0
Observation Time14:11
Weather SourceWIT

Appendix: Source Data