August 9, 2000, A Navy contracted Piper Navajo Chieftan charter airliner with nine people onboard collided midair over Burlington Township, New Jersey with a Piper PA- 44 Seminol, earlier today in southern New Jersey. All onboard both aircraft were killed, a total of 11. The Navajo originated from Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst, N.J., and made a stop at Mercer County Airport in New Jersey before heading for Patuxent River Naval Air Station. The mishap   occurred shortly after take-off. The civilian-operated aircraft was contracted through the Air Mobility Command.

Most of the Navajo impacted on the attached garage of a two story dwelling within a residential area and most of the Seminol landed in a soybean field approximately one half mile to the north northeast of that location. The dwelling was subsequently destroyed by post crash fire. Both aircraft were destroyed and the seven passengers and both pilots aboard the Navjo were killed, and the certified flight instructor and the private-certificated student pilot onboard the Seminol were also killed. "One plane came down in a field, the other on a house, slamming into the garage and destroying the family cars. The fire caused extensive damage to the two-story, brick home". "The couple that lives in the house was getting dressed for work at the time, but miraculously both husband and wife escaped unharmed.

"If he was over another 25 feet or so he would have been right through the center of the structure and we wouldn't be here, so we're very lucky," said Ed Trzaskawka. The Piper Navajo was ferrying Lakehurst Naval Air workers to Maryland. Lakehurst spokesman Lawrence Lyford said the plane was a daily shuttle flight, operated by a private contractor, that goes to Trenton, then to the Naval Air Engineering Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., in the morning, returning in the afternoon. He said he did not know the identities of those on board. Gerald Consolo, 33, who lives in a neighboring development, said he heard what sounded like an airplane with engine trouble. Consolo further stated he heard a loud noise and saw that a twin-engine plane had broken up, with its tail section separated from the fuselage. He said it was the fuselage and engine parts that struck Trzaskawka's house.