Amateur-built HAWK accident near East Hanover, New Jersey, April 2, 1983
On April 2, 1983 at about 8:08 pm local time, a amateur-built HAWK (ultralight), registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident near East Hanover, New Jersey (Hanover airport). It was a personal flight under ultralight rules (Part 103). 1 person was 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
- April 2, 1983 · about 8:08 pm local time
- Place
- East Hanover, New Jersey · Hanover
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built HAWK
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial H-2-24-C
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · ultralight rules (Part 103)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING TAKEOFF, THE PLT HEARD A BANG AS THE PROPELLER (PROP), ATTACHING PULLEY & REDUCTION DRIVE BELTS SEPARATED, WHILE THE ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE WAS CLIMBING THRU ABOUT 130 FT AGL. AT THAT TIME. THE ENG BEGAN OVERSPEEDING, THE NOSE PITCHED UP & THE ULTRALIGHT BANKED TO THE RIGHT. THE PLT WAS ABLE TO LOWER THE NOSE & START A LEFT TURN TO AVOID A POWER LINE. HOWEVER, AS THE LEFT TURN WAS STARTED, HE LOST CONTROL & THE ULTRALIGHT CRASHED IN AN OPEN FIELD. AN EXAM REVEALED THAT THE PROP SHAFT HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE. DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE, THE TAIL BOOM, WHICH HOUSED THE ELEVATOR & RUDDER CONTROLS, HAD COME APART NEAR THE LOCATION WHERE THE PROP WAS INSTALLED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE REDUCTION MOUNT ASSEMBLY WAS RETURNED TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR OVERHAUL AFTER A PREVIOUS ACCIDENT. IT WAS NOT KNOWN WHETHER OR NOT THE PROP SHAFT WAS REPLACED OR REPAIRED AT THAT TIME. THICK WASHERS, IN PLACE OF SHIMS, HAD BEEN USED ON THE REDUCTION MOUNT ASSY TO ADJUST THE BELT TENSION. PREIMPACT TENSION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 130 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 120 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 50 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 550 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cuyuna 430R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 1,957 ft by 38 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from MMU, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under UNREG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.