- Date
- January 14, 2016, 20:45 local (Jan 15, 2016, 01:45 UTC)
- Place
- Sussex, NJ
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N64251Cessna 180
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA Allentown FSDO
- FAA report
- 20160114002119A
- Case key
- 92604
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 failure to maintain pitch control during the landing, which resulted in abnormal runway contact, a ground loop, and a nose over.
Findings · 4
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 reported that during the landing touchdown at night with the student pilot at the flight controls, he "felt the airplane hop a little and immediately felt the left wing drop." He reported that the airplane, "shifted to the right, the nose lifted, and as the airplane settled the airplane nosed over." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, the right wing lift strut, the vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The flight instructor did not report any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. As a safety recommendation, the flight instructor reported that, "I believe the accident could have been prevented if I personally executed the landing and not assisted my student in the landing." Additionally, he reported that, "I believe the length of the day and emotional fatigue played a big factor" with the accident.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that during the landing touchdown at night with the student pilot at the flight controls, he "felt the airplane hop a little and immediately felt the left wing drop." He reported that the airplane, "shifted to the right, the nose lifted, and as the airplane settled the airplane nosed over." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, the right wing lift strut, the vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The flight instructor did not report any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. As a safety recommendation, the flight instructor reported that, "I believe the accident could have been prevented if I personally executed the landing and not assisted my student in the landing." Additionally, he reported that, "I believe the length of the day and emotional fatigue played a big factor" with the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64251
- Reported as
- Cessna 180 (K)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052886
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 2,959
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Network Spares
- Registered owner
- Network Spares
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 23, 2015
- Departed
- LYH · Lynchburg, VA
- Destination
- FWN · Sussex, NJ
- Airport
- FWN · Sussex, runway 03, 3,499 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 27, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 8,450 total · 250 in this make and model · 8,450 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 2.7 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 150 total · 17 in this make and model · 2.7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KFWN
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 3, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 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.