# NTSB ERA19LA194: Cessna 172, N7367G, Mount Holly, NJ, March 9, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: March 9, 2019, 18:05 local (23:05 UTC) - Place: Mount Holly, NJ - Coordinates: 39.943, -74.845 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.9430&lon=-74.8450&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 99608 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA19LA194 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/99608/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99608 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19LA194 ## Probable cause Failure of the pilot's seat back due to a sheared bolt during the landing roll, which resulted in a loss of directional control and runway excursion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Equipment/furnishings: flight compartment equipment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022510): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172K, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022510/cases.md?model=2072430), [All aircraft, 37 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022510/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172K, 33 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=2072430), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172K, 13 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=2072430), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-landing roll: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330); cases with it: [Cessna 172K, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330/sequence.md?model=2072430), [All aircraft, 994 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172K, 16 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=2072430), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna 172K, 33 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2072430), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that his seat back collapsed during the landing roll and he lost sight of the runway. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and impacted the segmented circle markers surrounding the windsock, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot's seat back was found disconnected on the left side of the seat base assembly attach point. The bolt head that attached the seat back to the seat base had sheared off from the seat back assembly. The bolt was removed and later misplaced, and was not available for further examination; therefore, its failure mode could not be determined. ## Factual narrative On March 9, 2019, at 1805 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172, N7367G, sustained substantial damage during a runway excursion while landing at the South Jersey Regional Airport (VAY), Mount Holly, New Jersey. The private pilot and the passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to a private company and operated by the Windwalker Aero Club, Lumberton, New Jersey, as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The departure location and time are unknown. The pilot stated that the flight was uneventful until landing. During landing rollout, when he started to apply the brakes, his seat back collapsed, and he lost site of the runway. The pilot said that when he was able to sit back up, he saw the airplane had veered off the left side of the runway and struck a segmented circle. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot's seat back was found disconnected on the left-hand side of the seat base assembly attach point. The bolt head that attached the seat back to the seat base had sheared off from the seat back assembly. This accident was initially reported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an incident and was later upgraded on June 11, 2019, to an accident. Under the initial auspices that this was an incident, the FAA did not retain the bolt (P/N: AN#-17A) and asked the operator's maintenance provided to remove the bolt and retain it for possible further examination. The bolt was removed and given to the manager of the aero club, who later reported that he had misplaced the bolt. As such, the bolt was not examined and its failure mode is unknown. According to the FAA, the airplane's last annual inspection was completed on September 15, 2018, at a total time of 3,451.42 hours. The most recent 100 hour inspection was completed about a month before the accident on January 8, 2019, at a total time of 3,552.92 hours. The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single and multiengine, and instrument airplane. He was also a certified flight instructor for airplane single-engine land. The pilot's last Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) second-class medical was issued on July 10, 2017. At that time, he reported a total of 12,000 flight hours. At 1754, the weather reported at VAY was wind from 120° at 6 knots gusting to 16 knots, visibility 10 miles, and clear skies. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7367G](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7367G-2021-01-01), registration cancelled 2021-01-01, S/N 17259067, built 1970 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172 (K) - Registry model: [Cessna 172K](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172k) (registry code 2072430) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17259067 - Year built: 1970 - Airframe hours: 3552.92 - Engines: Lycoming O-320 SERIES 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, January 8, 2019 - Destination: VAY, Mount Holly, NJ - Flight plan: Unknown - Airport: VAY, South Jersey Regional, runway 26, 3,881 × 50 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 63; injuries: none; private, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review November 23, 2017; seat: left; flight hours: 12,000 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 120° at 6 knots, gusting 16 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 45 °F, dew point 30 °F - Altimeter: 30.03 inHg - Observed at: VAY ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20190309005979A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190309005979A), Mar 9, 2019: Cessna 172K, Lumberton, NJ, Substantial damage. 03/09/2019: After landing, at south jersey regional airport (vay) a Cessna CE-172-K, N7367G, veered off runway 26 to the left, breaking a taxiway light on… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 14, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99608. 744 KB in all. - Written Statement - Pilot (item 1, .PDF, 83 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40483688&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Written%20Statement%20-%20Pilot-Master.PDF - NTSB Summary of Record with FAA (item 2, .PDF, 88 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40483689&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Summary%20of%20Record%20%20with%20FAA-Master.PDF - Photos (item 3, .PDF, 573 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40483690&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photos-Master.PDF 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. --- 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.