Piper PA-32R-300 N71MC
8 August 2009 · Hoboken, New Jersey, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 8 August 2009 at about 15:53 local time, a Piper PA-32R-300 registered N71MC, operated by Steven M Altman, was involved in an accident near Hoboken, New Jersey, United States. 9 people were on board and 9 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:53
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hoboken, New Jersey, United States
- Coordinates
- 40.7433, -74.0217
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-300
- Registration
- N71MC
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Steven M Altman
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Teterboro → Ocean City
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA09MA447
People
9 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
(1) the inherent limitations of the see-and-avoid concept, which made it difficult for the airplane pilot to see the helicopter until the final seconds before the collision, and (2) the Teterboro Airport local controller’s nonpertinent telephone conversation, which distracted him from his air traffic control (ATC) duties, including correcting the airplane pilot’s read back of the Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) tower frequency and the timely transfer of communications for the accident airplane to the EWR tower. Contributing to this accident were (1) both pilots’ ineffective use of available information from their aircraft’s electronic traffic advisory system to maintain awareness of nearby aircraft, (2) inadequate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) procedures for transfer of communications among ATC facilities near the Hudson River Class B exclusion area; and (3) FAA regulations that did not provide adequate vertical separation for aircraft operating in the Hudson River Class B exclusion area.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The Safety Board’s full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2010/AAR1005.htm The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-10/05. On August 8, 2009, at 1153:14 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-300 airplane, N71MC, and a Eurocopter AS350BA helicopter, N401LH, operated by Liberty Helicopters, collided over the Hudson River near Hoboken, New Jersey. The pilot and two passengers aboard the airplane and the pilot and five passengers aboard the helicopter were killed, and both aircraft received substantial damage from the impact. The airplane flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, and the helicopter flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Parts 135 and 136. No flight plans were filed or were required for either flight, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piper PA-32R-300 | N71MC | Steven M Altman | Substantial |
| Eurocopter AS 350 BA | N401LH | Liberty Helicopters | Substantial |
Other Piper PA-32R accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Sep 2009 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States | - | Fatal | 5 |
| 13 Jan 2009 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Manteo, North Carolina, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Jun 2009 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Lakeview, Arkansas, United States | PROPAIRE, Inc. | Fatal | 3 |
| 8 Nov 2009 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Sep 2009 | Piper PA-32R-301T | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 3 Oct 2009 | Piper PA-32R-300 | Whiteville, North Carolina, United States | Carolinas Aviation LLC | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jun 2009 | Taylorcraft BC12-D | Somerville, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Aug 2009 | Cessna 172RG | Rockaway, New Jersey, United States | Air Fleet Training Systems | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 2009 | Cessna 170B | Mahwah, New Jersey, United States | Ganim Rose B | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Mar 2009 | Piper PA-42 | Belmar, New Jersey, United States | Hortmont Aviation Services Inc | No injuries | - |
| 7 Mar 2009 | Grumman TBM-3 | Millville, New Jersey, United States | Claire Aviation | Serious injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 2009 | Diamond DA 20-C1 | Morristown, New Jersey, United States | Robert Haddow | No injuries | - |