Piper PA-60 accident near Somerville, New Jersey, December 31, 1988
On December 31, 1988 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-60, registered N90393, was destroyed in an accident near Somerville, New Jersey (Somerset airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER INFLIGHT DECISIONS WHILE APPROACHING THE AIRPORT ON FINAL APPROACH WITH DEFECTIVE MAGNETOS. THE RIGHT FUEL SELECTOR WAS PLACED IN THE CLOSED POSITION, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A GO AROUND, RAISED THE LANDING GEAR AND FLAPS, FAILED TO MAINTAIN VMC, AND CRASHED INTO WOODED TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 1988 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Somerville, New Jersey · Somerset
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-60 · all PA-60s on the register
- Registration
- N90393 · registry record · serial 60-0224-095
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 30 AT SOMERSET AIRPORT, SOMERVILLE, NEW JERSEY WHEN THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER OF THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE PILOT RAISED THE LANDING GEAR AND FLAPS, AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE RIGHT, DESCENDED TOWARD THE GROUND AND CRASHED. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO THE RIGHT WING TANK WAS IN THE CLOSED POSITION. THE RIGHT ENGINE MAGNETOS WERE DEFECTIVE.
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: 2,300 hours in all; 800 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,049 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 29, 1989; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1F5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1N7 Blairstown NJ at 4:45 pm
- Destination: N52
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 2,735 ft by 65 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from ABE, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N90393 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 NYC89LA058.