Cessna 182Q and Aero Commander 560E mid-air collision near Livingston, New Jersey, November 20, 1982
On November 20, 1982 at about 9:14 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Cessna 182Q (N96402) and Aero Commander 560E (N3827C), were involved in a mid-air collision near Livingston, New Jersey. 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 20, 1982 · about 9:14 pm local time
- Place
- Livingston, New Jersey
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna 182Q · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N96402 · no longer on the register · serial 18266707
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Aero Commander 560E · all 560Es on the register
- Registration
- N3827C · no longer on the register · serial 744
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 182Q final · quoted from the NTSB record
AERO COMMANDER 560E, N3827C (27C), WAS RETURNING FROM BLAIRSTOWN WHERE IT HAD BEEN FLOWN FOR MINOR MAINT. THE PLT WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, CLEARED BY NEW YORK TRACON TO PROCEED AT 2000 FT MSL ON A RADAR VECTOR OF 170 DEG FOR AN ILS APCH TO THE TETERBORO ARPT. THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN ALT ENCODING TRANSPONDER THAT WAS BEING USED. THE PLT WAS ADVISED OF NUMEROUS TARGETS AT HIS 12 O'CLOCK POSITION. AT APRX THE SAME TIME, CESSNA 182Q, N96402 (402), WAS ON A FLT FROM THE KUPPER ARPT TO RAMAPO ARPT. A DIRECT ROUTE BETWEEN THESE ARPTS WOULD HAVE INTERSECTED THE NW EDGE OF THE NEW YORK TCA WHERE POSITIVE CONTROL BEGAN BETWEEN 1800 & 7000 FT MSL. THE PLT WAS PROCEEDING VFR WITH NO FLT PLAN & WAS NOT IN RADIO COMM WITH ANY ATC FACILITY. 402 WAS EQUIPPED WITH A TRANSPONDER THAT WAS OPERATING, BUT HAD NO ALT ENCODING CAPABILITY. AS THE ACFT CONVERGED, 402 WAS ON A NORTHEASTERLY HEADING. THE PLANES COLLIDED ABOUT 1 MI INSIDE THE TCA. THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND APRX 1500 FT APART. A MAP WAS FOUND IN 402 WITH A LINE DRAWN BETWEEN THE ARPTS & INTERSECTING THE TCA.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Aero Commander 560E final · quoted from the NTSB record
AERO COMMANDER 560E, N3827C (27C), WAS RETURNING FROM BLAIRSTOWN WHERE IT HAD BEEN FLOWN FOR MINOR MAINT. THE PLT WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, CLEARED BY NEW YORK TRACON TO PROCEED AT 2000 FT MSL ON A RADAR VECTOR OF 170 DEG FOR AN ILS APCH TO THE TETERBORO ARPT. THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN ALT ENCODING TRANSPONDER THAT WAS BEING USED. THE PLT WAS ADVISED OF NUMEROUS TARGETS AT HIS 12 O'CLOCK POSITION. AT APRX THE SAME TIME, CESSNA 182Q, N96402 (402), WAS ON A FLT FROM THE KUPPER ARPT TO RAMAPO ARPT. A DIRECT ROUTE BETWEEN THESE ARPTS WOULD HAVE INTERSECTED THE NW EDGE OF THE NEW YORK TCA WHERE POSITIVE CONTROL BEGAN BETWEEN 1800 & 7000 FT MSL. THE PLT WAS PROCEEDING VFR WITH NO FLT PLAN & WAS NOT IN RADIO COMM WITH ANY ATC FACILITY. 402 WAS EQUIPPED WITH A TRANSPONDER THAT WAS OPERATING, BUT HAD NO ALT ENCODING CAPABILITY. AS THE ACFT CONVERGED, 402 WAS ON A NORTHEASTERLY HEADING. THE PLANES COLLIDED ABOUT 1 MI INSIDE THE TCA. THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND APRX 1500 FT APART. A MAP WAS FOUND IN 402 WITH A LINE DRAWN BETWEEN THE ARPTS & INTERSECTING THE TCA.
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 for the Cessna 182Q from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 248 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Manville NJ
- Destination: Spring Valley NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 124°F (51°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
The factual record for the Aero Commander 560E from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 730 hours in all; 77 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming GO-480-G1B6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Blairstown NJ
- Destination: Tetersboro NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.