- Date
- December 30, 2018, 16:20 local (21:20 UTC)
- Place
- Caldwell, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2651RCessna 172
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 98899
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 directional control during the takeoff roll.
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 chief pilot of the flight school reported that, after the student pilot had performed two landings with the flight instructor, the instructor exited the airplane, and the student performed a solo flight around the traffic pattern. After a full-stop landing, the student added full power for another takeoff, but the airplane veered left. The student added rudder inputs to correct, but the airplane exited the runway, struck a berm, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The chief pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The chief pilot of the flight school reported that, after the student pilot had performed two landings with the flight instructor, the flight instructor exited the airplane, and the student performed a solo flight around the pattern. After the full stop landing, the student added full power for another takeoff, but the airplane veered left. The student added rudder inputs to correct, but the airplane exited the runway, struck a berm, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The chief pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2651R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (R)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280542
- Built
- 1998
- Airframe hours
- 7,460.9
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Air Fleet Training Systems Inc.
- Registered owner
- Aa Aero Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 28, 2018
- Departed
- CDW · Caldwell, NJ
- Destination
- CDW · Caldwell, NJ
- Airport
- CDW · Essex County, runway 22, 4,552 × 80 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 60 total · 60 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- KCDW
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 2, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 756 KB in all.