Piper PA-28-140 accident near Old Bridge, New Jersey, December 20, 1986
On December 20, 1986 at about 8:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N6192W, was destroyed in an accident near Old Bridge, New Jersey (Old Bridge airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- December 20, 1986 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Old Bridge, New Jersey · Old Bridge
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N6192W · registry record · serial 28-20221
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT TOOK OFF FM THE MARLBORO ARPT & FLEW TO 2 OTHER ARPTS BEFORE LNDG AT THE MILLER ARPT AT BURGETTSTOWN, PA, WHERE THE ENG WAS SHUT DOWN. HE HAD DIFFICULTY IN STARTING THE ENG & REMAINED ON THE GND ABOUT 1 HR. THE PLT TOLD AN AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR THAT HE & THE PASSENGER HAD CONSUMED ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE WHILE EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY IN STARTING THE ENG. WHILE CRUISING ON THE NEXT FLT, THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SWITCHED TO THE RGT TANK. APRX 20 MIN LATER, WHILE ON AN APCH TO LAND AT OLD BRIDGE, NJ, THE ENG LOST POWER. DRG AN EMERG LNDG, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES ABOUT 25 FT AGL, FELL INTO A SMALL CREEK & CAME TO REST AGAINST A LARGE TREE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND. OPENED BOTTLES OF BRANDY, VODKA & ORANGE JUICE WERE FND IN THE ACFT. THE LEFT FUEL TANK HAD BEEN 'TOPPED OFF' AT THE MARLBORO ARPT, BUT THE RGT FUEL TANK HAD NOT BEEN REFUELED FOR ABOUT A MONTH. PLT'S LOGBOOK WAS NOT RECOVERED. ON AN APPLICATION FOR HIS LAST MED CERT, DATED 2/21/84, HE STATED HE HAD 700 HRS TOTAL FLT TIME.
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
- Flight time: 700 hours in all; 20 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,860 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 6, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P64 Burgettstown PA
- Destination: 3N6
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 3:50 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 NYC87LA050.