Piper PA-28-181 accident near Sea Bright, New Jersey, July 24, 1996
On July 24, 1996 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N84280, was destroyed in an accident near Sea Bright, New Jersey. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain control of the airplane, due to spatial disorientation, which resulted in a collision with water. Factors relating to the accident were the pilot's failure to obtain a weather briefing before flight, the adverse weather conditions, and the pilot's lack of instrument experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 1996 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sea Bright, New Jersey
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N84280 · no longer on the register · serial 28-8290029
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument rated pilot departed on a local flight in VFR conditions. A witness stated that he heard the airplane's engine overhead in 'very foggy' conditions. He said he could not see the airplane, until it flew through a break in the fog. Reportedly, the airplane was northbound, it reentered the fog, then it made an abrupt 180 degree turn, followed by impact with the water. Examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact failure of the airframe or engine. An updated AIRMET had been issued for the area; it included a forecast for IFR conditions with the ceiling below 1,000 feet and the visibility below 3 miles, with precipitation, fog and mist. There was no record of a weather briefing obtained by the pilot.
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: 1,205 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,442 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 28, 1995; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BLM Belmare NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 1.5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from JFK, 19 miles away
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.
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.