Fairchild 24W-46 accident near Andover, New Jersey, March 9, 1985
On March 9, 1985 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Fairchild 24W-46, registered N81385, was substantially damaged in an accident near Andover, New Jersey (Aeroflex 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 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
- March 9, 1985 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Andover, New Jersey · Aeroflex
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild 24W-46 · all 24W-46s on the register
- Registration
- N81385 · no longer on the register · serial 46-285
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS FROM 300 DEG AT 12 GUSTING 20 KTS. WHILE ON FINAL APCH TO LAND, THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED A GUST & SETTLED PREMATURELY. IT DRIFTED TO THE LEFT & THE LEFT WHEEL ENTERED A GRASSY AREA. THE PLT INITIATED CORRECTIVE ACTION, THEN THE ACFT VEERED RIGHT, HIT A SNOWBANK & WAS DAMAGED.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 966 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 914 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,284 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 2, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 2,562 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs L-4-MB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 2,004 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.