Piper PA-23-160 N3374P

Summary

On 4 March 1998 at about 19:10 local time, a Piper PA-23-160 registered N3374P, operated by Lino Fazio, was involved in an accident near Somerville, New Jersey, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 March 1998 at 19:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Somerville, New Jersey, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-23-160

Registration

N3374P

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Lino Fazio

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

West Milford → Matawan

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC98FA073

2 people died.

in-flight separation of the empennage for undetermined reasons. "THIS CASE WAS MODIFIED AUGUST 2, 2006."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

"THIS CASE WAS MODIFIED AUGUST 2, 2006." The Piper Apache was cruising at about 1,500 feet AGL, when a witness saw the vertical stabilizer start to oscillate and then separate from the airplane. The airplane descended and struck a multiple family dwelling. Examination of the wreckage revealed the outboard wing panels had separated from the airplane in flight due to downward bending forces that occurred after the in-flight separation of the horizontal stabilizer. The horizontal stabilizer was found next to the vertical stabilizer apart from the main fuselage and wing wreckage and had separated, in-flight, in a horizontal twisting motion that pushed the left tip of the horizontal stabilizer rearward. An impact mark on the left outboard leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer was consistent with a soft bodied impact that occurred prior to ground impact. Although one witness reported seeing several birds flying in the area at the time of the accident, examination of the left horizontal stabilizer and elevator failed to find any evidence of blood, feathers, or bird remains. A detailed and comprehensive examination of the accident site area failed to reveal any evidence of a bird carcass, or bird feathers. Aircraft components composed of both aluminum and fiberglass were mounted forward of the empennage, however the impact mark showed no residual evidence of being struck by either material. A determination of the source of the soft bodied impact could not be made. The vertical stabilizer is attached to the horizontal stabilizer, and this assembly is then attached to the fuselage through four attach points. The damage to the vertical stabilizer attach points indicates that they failed toward the left (as viewed from the rear looking forward) and were securely attached to the horizontal stabilizer at the time of failure. Three of the four bolts that attach the horizontal stabilizer to the fuselage were recovered. The forward two attach points were torn out of the horizontal stabilizer during the in-flight separation. Compression damage to the lower skin immediately forward of the aft, left attach point indicates that it was securely attached. No evidence was found to indicate that any of the attach points were unsecured prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.