Piper PA-31-325 accident near Hamilton Twp., New Jersey, February 20, 1988
On February 20, 1988 at about 3:02 am local time, a Piper PA-31-325, registered N27400, was destroyed in an accident near Hamilton Twp., New Jersey (Atlantic City airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- February 20, 1988 · about 3:02 am local time
- Place
- Hamilton Twp., New Jersey · Atlantic City
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-325 · all PA-31-325s on the register
- Registration
- N27400 · no longer on the register · serial 31-7712093
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR AT APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE FINAL ON A NIGHT ILS RWY 13 APPROACH. RADAR DATA INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT COMPLETED ALMOST 180 DEGREES OF TURN PRIOR TO DISAPPEARING. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA. NO EVIDENCE OF A PRE-EXISTING FAILURE ON THE ENGINES OR AIRFRAME WAS FOUND. WHEN THE FLYING HISTORY OF THE PILOT WAS EXAMINED, THE HOURS PRESENTED ON HIS RESUME EXCEEDED HIS LOG BOOK AND HIS LOG BOOK HOURS COULD NOT BE TOTALLY VERIFIED. THE CO-PILOT DID NOT HAVE AN INSTRUMENT RATING. THE PILOT THAT PRECEDED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ON THE APPROACH SAID HE EXPERIENCED MODERATE TURBULENCE, WIND SHEAR AND THAT THE APPROACH LIGHTS WERE VERY DISTRACTING. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING WHICH INCLUDED WIND SHEAR AND MODERATE TURBULENCE.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,115 hours in all; 135 in this make and model; 218 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days; 813 as pilot in command; 304 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,909 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 10, 1988; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-F2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Atlantic City Air Taxi
The flight
- Departed from: OWD Norwood MA at 2:09 am
- Destination: ACY Atlantic City NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 10,000 ft by 180 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 160° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 am from ACY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.