- Date
- December 22, 2025, 14:22 local (19:22 UTC)
- Place
- East Farmingdale, NY
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Defining events
- Taxi: Ground collisionTaxi-to runway: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2026
- 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
- 20251222019752A
- Case key
- 202202
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
A loss of brake effectiveness during taxi, which resulted in a collision with another airplane.
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.
N1517E · Cessna 172N
N65199 · Cessna 152
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.
N1517E · Cessna 172N
N65199 · Cessna 152
Analysis
The pilot and the flight instructor were departing for an instructional flight, and before beginning their taxi, had tested their airplane’s brakes and noted no anomalies. The subsequent taxi was normal, and as they approached the run-up area, the pilot attempted to apply the right brake but it was ineffective. The flight instructor also attempted to apply the right brake, but during his attempt the pedal went completely to the floor. The airplane’s left wing subsequently struck the empennage of another airplane that was stationary and operating in the runup area, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage of that airplane. The pilot and the flight instructor’s airplane incurred minor damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane’s brakes by the operator’s maintenance personnel found no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N1517E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17271031
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 2,510
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-h2ad, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Academy Of Aviation
- Registered owner
- Heavy Metal Air LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 11, 2025
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- FRG · Republic, runway 32, 6,833 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, 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.
- Registration
- N65199
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15284323
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 13,613.9
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235 SERIES, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Long Island Aviators LLC
- Registered owner
- Long Island Aviators LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 17, 2025
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, 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 · 4
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N1517E
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 3, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 160.8 total · 160.8 in this make and model · 79.2 as pilot in command · 56.1 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor, aircraft N1517E
- Age
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 15, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,315.3 total · 1,085.5 in this make and model · 1,238.8 as pilot in command · 54.7 in the last 90 days · 16.8 in the last 30 days · 0.4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot, aircraft N65199
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Role
- Flight instructor, aircraft N65199
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.51 inHg
- Observed at
- FRG
- METAR
- METAR KFRG 221853Z 30005KT 10SM CLR 03/M08 A3043 RMK AO2 SLP305 T00331083
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 21, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 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.