Piper PA-28-161 accident near Linden, New Jersey, December 6, 2008
On December 6, 2008 at about 2:17 am local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N2125J, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Linden, New Jersey (Linden Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The unknown pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the taxiway sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 6, 2008 · about 2:17 am local time
- Place
- Linden, New Jersey · Linden Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N2125J · no longer on the register · serial 28-7916202
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a routine airport inspection, airport personnel found one of the taxiway signs damaged. Further inspection of parked airplanes revealed structural damage to the wing of a Piper PA-28-161 consistent with a collision with the sign. Local police performed an investigation; however the identity of the pilot was not determined. The actual time and date of the accident is unknown. The owner of the airplane did not report the accident and did not respond to requests for accident information from the National Transportation Safety Board or the Federal Aviation Administration.
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
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Flight time: 1 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mka International INC
The flight
- Departed from: LDJ Linden NJ
- Destination: LDJ Linden NJ
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.