- Date
- August 9, 2023, 09:15 local (13:15 UTC)
- Place
- Princeton, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N172FWCessna 172R
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230809014929A
- Case key
- 192888
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for the prevailing wind conditions during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent collision with trees.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot was practicing solo takeoffs and landings in the airport traffic pattern. He successfully completed two takeoffs and landings. He then decided to attempt a soft-field technique takeoff. As the airplane began to lift off the ground, the pilot reported that an unexpected gust of wind from the northwest caught him off guard, and he lost control of the airplane. The airplane subsequently collided with trees, resulting in substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have prevented normal operation of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N172FW
- Reported as
- Cessna 172R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280080
- Built
- 1997
- Airframe hours
- 10,250
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 7, 2023 · 9 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 39N · Princeton, runway 28, 3,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 43 total · 43 in this make and model · 7 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- KTTN, 10 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KTTN 091253Z 30008KT 10SM CLR 22/15 A2980 RMK AO2 SLP084 T02220150
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 7, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.