Piper PA-28R accident near Manville, New Jersey, March 21, 1992
On March 21, 1992 at about 5:25 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R, registered N9348N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Manville, New Jersey (Kupper airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN OBSTACLE CLEARANCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 1992 · about 5:25 pm local time
- Place
- Manville, New Jersey · Kupper
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R · all PA-28Rs on the register
- Registration
- N9348N · registry record · serial 28R35049
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 25 AT KUPPER AIRPORT, MANVILLE, NEW JERSEY, JUST BEFORE FLYING OVER THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD, THE PILOT HEARD A 'THUMP'. HE ELECTED TO GO-AROUND AND HAVE THE CONDITION AND THE POSITION OF HIS LANDING GEAR VERIFIED. ONCE THE GEAR WAS VISUALLY CHECKED, HE LANDED ON RUNWAY 25 WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE PILOT TAXIED OFF THE RUNWAY AND PARKED THE AIRPLANE IN A HANGAR. POST LANDING EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED SUBSTANTAIL DAMAGE TO THE MAIN GEAR AND SKIN BUCKLING ON THE TOP OF BOTH WINGS. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE RUNWAY REVEALED THAT THERE WAS A 36 INCH HIGH FROZEN SNOWBANK LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET BEFORE THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. IMPACT MARKS ON THE SNOWBANK REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S MAIN GEAR HAD TRAVELED THROUGH THE BANK.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: gyroplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,470 hours in all; 620 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 1,200 as pilot in command; 560 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: 69 Arrow INC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,400 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO92LA043.