Piper PA-28-161 accident near Hammonton, New Jersey, February 5, 1988
On February 5, 1988 at about 12:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N2126J, was destroyed in an accident near Hammonton, New Jersey (Hammonton airport). It was a business 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).
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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
- February 5, 1988 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hammonton, New Jersey · Hammonton
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N2126J · registry record · serial 28-7916203
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS AFTER TAKEOFF AT ABOUT 100 FEET AGL NEAR THE END OF RWY 30. HE SAID THE ACFT STALLED AT TREETOP LEVEL, COLLIDED WITH TREES, AND CAME TO REST IN A NOSEDOWN ATTITUDE. THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE INITIATED THE FLT WITH THE LEFT TANK 1/4 FULL AND THE RIGHT TANK 3/4 FULL. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES. THE ENGINE RAN SATISFACTORILY IN A TESTRUN ON THE ACFT, WITH AN EXTERNAL FUEL SOURCE.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,652 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 1,608 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,862 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 16, 1987; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Han Air Service,Inc.
The flight
- Destination: Summit DE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°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.
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 NYC88LA073.