- Date
- November 20, 2023, 10:17 local (15:17 UTC)
- Place
- Blairstown, NJ · On airport
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N739MKCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: 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
- 20231120018779A
- Case key
- 193426
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 student pilot’s improper control inputs and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in a loss of control during an attempted go-around.
Findings · 3
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 flight instructor and the student pilot were practicing a simulated loss of engine power landing procedure. When the airplane was over the runway, it began to “excessively” float and the instructor told the student to go-around. The student added full power and pulled back on the control yoke to initiate the go-around. The instructor said the airplane almost immediately banked toward the left of the runway. He immediately took over the controls and attempted to recover from the situation; however, he said that he was unable to overpower the student’s excessive input and the airplane impacted the ground resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. The instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N739MK
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17270649
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 9,269
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Sherman Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 3, 2023 · 49 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 1N7 · Blairstown, runway 7, 3,112 × 70 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 4, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 348 total · 348 in this make and model · 264 as pilot in command · 108 in the last 90 days · 89 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 22 total · 22 in this make and model · 22 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.36 inHg
- Observed at
- K12N, 12 nm away
- METAR
- METAR K12N 201454Z AUTO 03009G16KT 03/M06 A3036
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 36.7 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.