Two pilots left South Jersey Regional Airport in a Piper Arrow at about five o’clock on an April afternoon for some instrument flying practice. The left seat pilot, with 334 hours, had single engine land and sea and instrument ratings; she had logged 100 hours of simulated and nine hours of actual instrument time, as well as 14 hours at night. The right seat pilot had 195 hours, 17 at night, and did not have an instrument rating.
After two hours they landed at Millville, about 40 miles to the south. There they spent almost three hours, eating dinner and preparing for a second practice flight, before taking off for Cape May, 30 miles distant, a little before 10 o’clock. It was a clear, dark night, with 10-mile visibility and light winds. The moon, a slender crescent, had already set.
