# Accident 20140217002369A: Cessna 172S, Fairfield, NJ, February 17, 2014

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 17, 2014, 18:45 local time
- Place: Fairfield, NJ
- Airport: Essex County
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.8753° N, 74.2814° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.8753&lon=-74.2814&mi=10
- Aircraft: N426SP, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N426SP-2016-12-27) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172S (registry code 2072439, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 SER A&C (registry code 41511, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-ser-a-c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172S
- Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER A&C
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 350 total, 330 in this make and model, 1 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA14CA127](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14CA127) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140217002369A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON 02/17/2014 AT 1845L, N426SP, A CESSNA 172SP, WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 4 AT THE CALDWELL AIRPORT (CDW).  SLIGHTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, THIS CAUSED THE NOSEWHEEL TO HIT A SNOWBANK THAT RAN ALONG THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 6 FEET IN FROM THE RUNWAY EDGE.  THE AIRCRAFT THEN FLIPPED OVER ON IT'S BACK.  THE RIGHT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED AS WELL AS THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER DURING THE IMPACT.  THE SNOWBANK RAN ALONG THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 6 FEET

THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS IDENTIFIED AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.  IN A STATEMENT SUBMITTED TO THE FSDO^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WROTE:

"ON 2/17/2013, I RENTED A CESSNA 172 FROM CENTURY AIR AT ABOUT 4:15PM AND DECIDED TO REMAIN IN THE PATTERN TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS SINCE I HAD NOT FLOWN SINCE 10/20/2013 AND WANTED TO GET CURRENT. I TOOK OFF AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 AND DID 10 TOUCH-AND-GO'S AT CALDWELL WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT. I TAXIED BACK TO CENTURY AT APPROXIMATELY 5:45PM AND PARKED THE AIRCRAFT.

WITH NIGHT APPROACHING, I DECIDED TO GET NIGHT CURRENT AND WAITED TILL NIGHT TIME TO DO AN ADDITIONAL THREE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS TO A FULL STOP. I TOOK OFF AT APPROXIMATELY 6:35 PM AND PROCEEDED AROUND THE PATTERN AND WAS CLEARED BY THE TOWER FOR MY FIRST LANDING. UPON

LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AND I INCREASED POWER SLIGHTLY IN ORDER TO SMOOTH OUT THE LANDING; THE WHEELS TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN WITH ANOTHER SLIGHT BOUNCE, AND AGAIN I INCREASED

THE POWER SLIGHTLY TO ACHIEVE A SMOOTH LANDING; WHEN THE WHEELS TOUCHED DOWN THE THIRD TIME, THE PLANE SUDDENLY VEERED OFF TO THE LEFT; I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER AND AILERON IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET THE PLANE BACK TO THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY BUT I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL.

AS A LAST RESORT, I APPLIED FULL THROTTLE IN AN ATTEMPT TO TAKEOFF AND AVOID THE SNOWBANKS ON THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, BUT SECONDS LATER, THE AIRCRAFT ENDED UP STRIKING THE SNOWBANK ON THE LEFT SIDE ON THE RUNWAY (I BELIEVE IT WAS THE FRONT WHEEL) CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO

SHORTSTOP AND FLIP OVER ON ITS NOSE, LANDING INVERTED ON THE SNOW BANK.

I PROCEEDED TO SHUT OFF THE MASTER SWITCH, MIXTURE, THROTTLE AND IGNITION TO PREVENT A FIRE HAZARD. I UNBUCKLED MY SEAT BELT, OPENED THE PILOT SIDE DOOR AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH

THE LEFT WING."

THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND TO BE IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION AND THE AIRCRAFT'S LOGBOOKS REVEALED ALL REQUIRED INSPECTIONS WERE COMPLETED.

## 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 ERA14CA127](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14CA127), Feb 17, 2014: Cessna 172S (N426SP), Caldwell, NJ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing.

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.