Piper PA-31-350 accident near Toms River, New Jersey, March 2, 1989
On March 2, 1989, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N40978, was substantially damaged in an accident near Toms River, New Jersey. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED AND CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND HIS EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: AUTOPLT MALFUNCTION DUE TO IMPROPER INSTALLATION BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO PREFLIGHT THE AUTOPILOT BEFORE USING IT IN FLIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 1989
- Place
- Toms River, New Jersey
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N40978 · registry record · serial 31-8152199
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS CRUISING AT 8500 FT WHEN IT EXPERIENCED AN INFLT LOSS OF CONTROL. THE PLT SAID THE AUTOPILOT PITCH TRIM RAN AWAY NOSE DOWN & HE WAS UNABLE TO DISCONNECT THE AUTOPILOT PRIOR TO THE LOSS OF CONTROL. EXAM OF THE ACFT SHOWED THE LEFT ELEVATOR HORN WAS BENT DOWN & THE RIGHT ELEVATOR HORN WAS BROKEN OFF. THE AUTOPILOT WAS EXAMINED & ALL DISCONNECTS EXCEPT FOR THE ACCELEROMETER TEST FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE PITCH TRIM BOARD WAS FOUND IMPROPERLY INSTALLED IN THE AUTO PILOT & DID NOT MAKE CONNECTION. WITH THE ALTITUDE HOLD ENGAGED, THE AUTOPILOT WOULD HOLD THE ELEVATOR POSITION AT TIME OF ENGAGEMENT & TRIM TO KEEP THE FORCES NEUTRAL. IF THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED, IT WOULD LOSE ALTITUDE & TRIM NOSE UP. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE ACFT STARTED TO SLOW, THEN DESCENDED FROM 8500 TO 8300 FT, THEN CLIMBED TO 8900 FT. THE ACFT THEN CAME DOWN VERY RAPIDLY TO 1700 FT PRIOR TO A RECOVERY. RPRTDLY, THE PLT DID NOT TEST THE AUTOPLT BEFORE TAKEOFF. .
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command; 1,400 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,131 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 25, 1989; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-J2B2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HFD Hartford CT
- Destination: ACY Atlantic City NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- 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.
Other NTSB records under N40978 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.