Beech K35 and Piper PA-34-200 mid-air collision near Stockholm, New Jersey, November 18, 1983
On November 18, 1983 at about 7:55 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Beech K35 (N106Q) and Piper PA-34-200 (N56670), were involved in a mid-air collision near Stockholm, New Jersey. 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 1983 · about 7:55 pm local time
- Place
- Stockholm, New Jersey
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Beech K35 · all K35s on the register
- Registration
- N106Q · registry record · serial D5920
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Piper PA-34-200 · all PA-34-200s on the register
- Registration
- N56670 · no longer on the register · serial 34-74-50018
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Beech K35 final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT 1544 EST, A BEECH K35 (BONANZA), N106Q, & A PIPER PA-34-200, N56670, COLLIDED WHILE THE ACFT WERE FLYING OVER THE VICINITY OF THE SPARTA VORTAC. THE BONANZA PLT WAS ON A LOCAL FLT WHILE THE PA-34 WAS ON A MULTI-ENG TRAINING FLT. THE STUDENT IN THE PA-34 STATED HE WAS USING A HOOD WHILE FLYING & HE BELIEVED HIS ACFT WAS FLYING STRAIGHT & LEVEL ON A HEADING OF APRX 240 DEG. HE DID NOT REMEMBER ANY INDICATION FROM THE INSTRUCTOR PLT (CFI) OF AN IMPENDING COLLISION. AFTER THE COLLISION, THE CFI TOOK CONTROL OF THE PA-34. THE STUDENT REMOVED HIS HOOD & SAW AN ACFT TO THE LEFT FRONT OF THE LEFT WING IN UNCONTROLLED FLT. THE CFI TOLD THE STUDENT TO SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING. THE STUDENT HESITATED THEN SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PA-34 CRASH LANDED IN A WOODED AREA. THE BONANZA CRASHED IN A STEEP DESCENT & BURNED. DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED ALONG THE 265 DEG RADIAL OF THE VORTAC & V-419. THERE WERE INDICATIONS THE LEFT WING TIP OF N106Q HIT (NEAR HEAD-ON) WITH LEFT INBRD WING/FUSELAGE OF N56670. SUN ELEV 15 DEG. CFI SUFFOCATED, NOT WEARING SHLDR HARNESS.
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 Piper PA-34-200 final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT 1455 EST, A BEECH K35 (BONANZA), N106Q, & A PIPER PA-34-200, N56670, COLLIDED WHILE THE ACFT WERE FLYING OVER THE VICINITY OF THE SPARTA VORTAC. THE BONANZA PLT WAS ON A LOCAL FLT WHILE THE PA-34 WAS ON MULTI-ENG TRAINING FLT. THE STUDENT IN THE PA-34 STATED HE WAS USING A HOOD WHILE FLYING & HE BELIEVED HS ACFT WAS FLYING STRAIGHT & LEVEL ON A HEADING OF APRX 240 DEG. HE DID NOT REMEMBER ANY INDICATION FROM THE INSTRUCTOR PLT (CFI) OF AN IMPENDING COLLISION. AFTER THE COLLISION, THE CFI TOOK CONTROL OF THE PA-34. THE STUDENT REMOVED HIS HOOD & SAW AN ACFT TO THE LEFT FRONT OF THE LEFT WING IN UNCONTROLLED FLT. THE CFI TOLD THE STUDENT TO SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING. THE STUDENT HESITATED THEN SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PA-34 CRASH LANDED IN A WOODED AREA. THE BONANZA CRASHED IN A STEEP DESCENT & BURNED. DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED ALONG THE 265 DEG RADIAL OF THE VORTAC & V-419. THERE WAS INDICATIONS THE LEFT WING TIP OF N106Q HIT (NEAR HEAD-ON) WITH LEFT INBRD WING/FUSELAGE OF N56670. SUN ELEV 15 DEG. CFI SUFFOCATED, NOT WEARING SHLDR HARNESS.
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 Beech K35 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,691 hours in all; 3,050 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,473 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 16, 1983; 72 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-C1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: N07 Lincoln Park NJ at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from MMU, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
The factual record for the Piper PA-34-200 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,655 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 5, 1983; 83 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Spartan, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: CDW Caldwell NJ at 6:30 pm
- Destination: N63 Sussex NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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 NYC84FA032.