History and mysteries · Barnegat, Ocean County
Barnegat: an engine failure over woods and houses (1990)
Documented history · Source reviewed
A short federal report records the choices behind a homebuilt airplane’s forced landing on a road.
A narrowing choice of landing sites
On August 17, 1990, a homebuilt Rand KR-2 lost power near Barnegat. According to the pilot’s account preserved by the NTSB, the engine began running roughly about fifteen minutes into the flight and then stopped. Attempts to restart it failed.
The surrounding terrain included woods, houses and power lines. The pilot flew beneath wires to reach a road, where the airplane struck a car and overturned. The aircraft was destroyed; the report lists one minor injury.
What the brief establishes
The pilot reported a failed magneto impulse coupling. The NTSB identified loss of engine power due to magneto failure as the probable cause.
The record supports a mechanical emergency followed by an improvised landing. It does not provide a detailed laboratory examination of the component, a street-level reconstruction or a basis for identifying the car’s occupants.
Sources and research limits
NTSB final report NYC90DHD03, analysis and findings. Aircraft registration N63BH distinguishes this incident from other regional forced landings.