# Accident 19990829025519A: Cessna 172N, Sussex, NJ, August 29, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 29, 1999, 18:50 local time - Place: Sussex, NJ - Airport: Sussex Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.2002° N, 74.6230° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at SUSSEX (FWN), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.2002&lon=-74.6230&mi=10 - Aircraft: N737CJ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N737CJ-2000-01-24) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172N (registry code 2072434, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N - Reported engine: LYC O320H2AD - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 3 - Pilot flight hours: 3,244 total, 30 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC99FA213](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99FA213) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990829025519A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON AUGUST 29, 1999, ABOUT 1850 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172N, N737CJ, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE SUSSEX AIRPORT (FWN), SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR SEATED IN THE RIGHT, FRONT SEAT, A STUDENT RATED PILOT, SEATED IN THE FRONT, LEFT SEAT, AND A PASSENGER, WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT DEPARTED AFTER THE 27TH ANNUAL SUSSEX AIRPORT AIRSHOW, HAD CONCLUDED. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AND DESTINED FOR REPUBLIC AIRPORT, FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED RUNWAY 21, A 3,499 FOOT LONG, ASPHALT RUNWAY. A COMMERCIAL PILOT STANDING AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY, OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WHEN IT WAS ABOUT 30 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED AT A 30 DEGREE NOSE UP ATTITUDE, AND "MUSHED" INTO THE TOPS OF THE TREES LOCATED BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE THEN "FLIPPED" FORWARD, AND DESCENDED TOWARD THE GROUND. HE COULD HEAR THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE, AND IT SOUNDED "LIKE IT WAS PRODUCING FULL POWER." HE DID NOT HEAR ANY FLUCTUATIONS IN ENGINE N OISE. HE FURTHER STATED, THAT IT WAS "REALLY WINDY," AND THE WIND SOCK WAS INDICATING A DIRECT TAILWIND, WITH AN OCCASIONAL CROSS WIND GUST. HE ESTIMATED THE WINDS WERE ABOUT 20 KNOTS. "EVERY AIRPLANE WAS HAVING TROUBLE TAKING OFF, EVEN SOME OF THE HIGHER PERFORMANCE MODELS" AND SEVERAL AIRPLANES WERE "VERY CLOSE" TO THE TREES. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED A GROUP OF THREE, 60 TO 75 FOOT TALL TREES, WERE LOCATED BETWEEN 200 AND 300 FEET BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 21. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE TOPS OF THE TREES, AND THEN IMPACTED IN A FIELD. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT 555 FEET FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE AIRPLANE WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED, WITH IT'S TAIL SECTION, AFT OF THE CABIN AREA, FOLDED DOWNWARD, AND ON TOP OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CABIN. THE FIRST VISIBLE GROUND SCAR WAS OBSERVED 92 FEET FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE, AND CONTAINED THE AIRPLANE'S PROPELLER. THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE GEAR, ENGINE, INSTRUMENT PANEL, RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, AND ENGINE COWLING, WERE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME AND LOCATED ALONG THE DEBRIS PATH, WH ICH WAS ORIENTED ON A MAGNETIC BEARING OF 200 DEGREES. SEVERAL BROKEN TREE BRANCHES WERE FOUND STREWN ALONG THE DEBRIS PATH. ADDITIONALLY, A BROKEN TREE BRANCH WHICH MEASURED 4 INCHES IN DIAMETER, AND ABOUT 6 FEET LONG, WAS FOUND NEAR THE BASE OF THE INITIAL TREE STRIKE. THE TREE BRANCH CONTAINED SCRAPE MARKS WITH WHITE PAINT TRANSFER. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED FROM THE COCKPIT AREA TO ALL PRIMARY CONTROL SURFACES. THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WAS LOCATED 24 FEET FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE, AND CONTAINED A LEADING EDGE IMPACT MARK, LOCATED ABOUT 3 FEET FROM THE OUTER TIP. THE IMPACT AREA HAD BEEN COMPRESSED AFT, AND UP, TO A POINT WITHIN 1 FOOT OF THE REAR SPAR. ADDITIONALLY, A TREE BRANCH WAS LODGED BETWEEN THE ELEVATOR AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS CONTAINED SYMMETRICAL LEADING EDGE DAMAGE, IN AN AFT DIRECTION. THE PROPELLER WAS SEPARATED FROM THE CRANKSHAFT, AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE, AFT OF THE PROPELLER MOUNTING FLANGE. THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT BACK SLIGHTLY. THE BLADES CONTAINED CHORDWISE SCRATCHES AND LEADING EDGE GOUGING. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE, AND EXAMINED IN A HANGER AT FWN. THE PORTION OF THE CRA NKSHAFT WHERE THE PROPELLER SEPARATED WAS BENT DOWNWARD INTO THE CRANKCASE, AND THE ENGINE COULD BE ROTATED ONLY ABOUT 100 DEGREES. WITHIN THE 100 DEGREES OF ROTATION, VALVE TRAIN CONTINUITY WAS NOTED ON THE NUMBER ONE, AND NUMBER THREE CYLINDER INTAKE VALVES, AND THE NUMBER THREE AND NUMBER TWO CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVES. THE REMAINING VALVES WERE DEPRESSED WITH A VALVE DEPRESSOR TOOL, AND THERE WERE NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. ALL SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE NUMBER ONE AND FOUR CYLINDER BOTTOM SPARK PLUGS, WHICH SUSTAINED IMPACT DAMAGED. THE SPARK PLUG ELECTRODES WERE INTACT, AND SLIGHTLY DARK GRAY IN COLOR. THE ENGINE'S DUAL MAGNETO WAS REMOVED, AND PRODUCED SPARK ON ALL TOWERS WHEN ROTATED BY HAND. THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE CARBURETOR WAS SEPARATED AND FOUND NEAR THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE TOP HALF REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE. ADDITIONALLY, THE FUEL INLET, AND OIL SUCTION SCREENS WERE REMOVED AND ABSENT OF DEBRIS. THE CFI REPORTED 3,244 TOTAL HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE ON HIS LAST APPLICATION FOR A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION SECOND CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, WHICH WAS ISSUED ON DECEMBER 4, 1999. REVIEW OF THE STUDENT PILOT'S LOGBOOK REVEALED SHE HAD A CCUMULATED 37.6 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE, ALL LOGGED AS "DUAL RECEIVED." THE WINDS REPORTED AT AN AIRPORT ABOUT 38 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, AT 1851, WERE FROM 340 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS, WITH 19 KNOT GUSTS; HOWEVER, SEVERAL PERSONS INTERVIEWED WHO WERE AT FWN AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, INDICATED THE WINDS WERE PREDOMINATELY FROM THE NORTH-NORTHEAST. AN INDIVIDUAL WHO LIVED ON A HILL ABOUT 1/4 MILE FROM THE AIRPORT STATED THAT ABOUT 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE WINDS STARTED TO "SWIRL" AND WERE "UNUSUALLY STRONG AND VIOLENT" AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (.4)AT THE CONCLUSION OF AN AIRSHOW HELD AT AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT, PILOTS REPORTED THAT SOMEONE OVER THE UNICOM FREQUENCY DIRECTED AIRPLANES TO DEPART RUNWAY 21. WHILE WAITING FOR TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 21, SEVERAL PILOTS STATED THAT THE WINDSOCK INDICATED A DIRECT TAILWIND. WITNESSES OBSERVED DEPARTING AIRPLANES 'STRUGGLING' TO CLIMB AND COMING 'REALLY CLOSE' TO TREES LOCATED OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE DEPARTED RUNWAY 21 AND IMPACTED THE TREES LOCATED OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE THEN PITCHED DOWN AND IMPACTED IN A FIELD. WINDS REPORTED AT AN AIRPORT ABOUT 38 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WERE FROM 340 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS WITH 19 KNOT GUSTS, AND WITNESSES STATED THE WIND WAS BLOWING 'STRAIGHT DOWN', AND FAVORING RUNWAY 3. (-23)AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 21 AT WANTAGE TOWNSHIP, NJ (FWN)(DOWNWIND DEPARTURE), CONTACTED TREES SEVERAL HUNDERED FEET AND SLIGHTLY LEFT OF DEPARTURE RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED GROUND. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB NYC99FA213](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99FA213), Aug 29, 1999: Cessna 172N (N737CJ), Sussex, NJ, substantial damage, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's improper decision to takeoff with a tailwind. Factor's in this accident were the tailwind condition and pressure to depart caused by other airplanes performing successful downwind… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.