General Dynamics 240-27 accident near West Trenton, New Jersey, June 19, 1985
On June 19, 1985 at about 11:02 am local time, a General Dynamics 240-27, registered N155PA, was destroyed in an accident near West Trenton, New Jersey (Mercer County airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 2 people were seriously injured. 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
- June 19, 1985 · about 11:02 am local time
- Place
- West Trenton, New Jersey · Mercer County
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- General Dynamics 240-27
- Registration
- N155PA · no longer on the register · serial 322
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE COPLT BGN TAKEOFF (TKOF) WITH 2700 RPM & 52 TO 53.5' OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE (MP). WTR INJECTION WAS NOT USED ALTHO 12 GAL WAS AVAILABLE. AT 150 TO 250 FT AGL, THE L ENG LOST PWR & THE L PROP AUTOFEATHERED. THE CAPT TOOK CONTROL (CTL) & TOOK ACTION TO VERIFY L ENG FEATHERING. NEITHER PLT MOVED ANY OF THE OTHER ENG CTLS. A TURN WAS INITIATED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT, BUT THE ACFT BGN LOSING SPEED & ALT. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT CRASH LNDD IN A PARTLY WOODED AREA SHORT OF AN OPEN FLD & BURNED UNTIL FIRE FIGHTING PSNL ARRIVED. THE IMPELLER WAS DEMOLISHED BY FIRE, BUT EVIDENCE OF DEBRIS FROM THE IMPELLERWAS FND IN THE L ENG INTAKE & ON TOP OF ITS #3 & # 11 PISTON. THE COMPANY'S STATED POLICY WAS TO USE WTR (WET TKOF), EXCEPT WHEN PRECLUDED BY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR LACK OF ADI FLUID; HOWEVER, 4 DISSIMILAR POWER CHARTS WERE FND IN THEACFT. TKOFF WT WAS 38,670 LBS. PERF MANUAL SHOWED ACFT CAPABLE OF 420 FPM CLB WITH 12 DEG OF FLAPS, 1 PROP FEATHERED, LNDG GEAR UP, DRY PWR (NO WTR). MAX PWR SETTING WAS 2700 RPM & 56' MP FOR DRY TKOF; 2800 RPM & 59.5' MP FOR WET TKOF.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 124 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,900 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 19, 1985; 128 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 39,580 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-2800-CB3 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TTN Trenton NJ at 11:02 am
- Destination: DTW Detroit MI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 6,006 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; not recorded at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:08 am from TTN, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.