- Date
- July 27, 2001, 10:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- West Milford, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4915LPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-25
- FAA report
- 20010727022259A
- Case key
- 52915
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 while landing. Factor’s in this accident were a wind gust and the rocks located off the left side of the runway.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The student pilot entered the traffic pattern for runway 6, a 4,000 foot-long, 60 foot-wide, asphalt runway. During the landing flare a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the left and the airplane touched down on the left side of the runway. The airplane then veered off the left side of the runway and began to impact quarry stone and brush. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane. The pilot reported 96 hours of total flight experience, which included 52 hours in the make and model of the accident airplane. Winds reported at an airport about 15 miles west-northwest of the accident site, about 30 minutes prior to the accident, were from 300 degrees at 10 knots, with 15 knot gusts. The reported winds at the same airport, about 30 minutes after the accident, were variable at 6 knots.
Factual narrative
On July 27, 2001, about 1015 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N4915L, was substantially damaged while landing at the Greenwood Lake Airport (4N1), West Milford, New Jersey. The certificated student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the student pilot, he entered the traffic pattern for runway 6, a 4,000-foot long, 60-foot wide, asphalt runway. During the landing flare, just before touchdown, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the left and the airplane touched down on the left side of the runway. The airplane then veered off the left side of the runway and began to impact quarry stone and brush.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions; nor did the pilot report any.
The pilot reported 96 hours of total flight experience, which included 52 hours in the make and model of the accident airplane.
Winds reported at an airport about 15 miles west-northwest of 4N1, at 0953, were from 300 degrees at 10 knots, with 15 knot gusts. At 1053, the reported winds were variable at 6 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4915L
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-4280
- Airframe hours
- 3,206
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aviation Services LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 15, 2001 · 38 hours before
- Departed
- 4N1 · West Milford, NJ
- Destination
- 4N1 · West Milford, NJ
- Airport
- 4N1 · Greenwood Lake, runway 6, 4,000 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 97 total · 52 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.30 inHg
- Observed at
- FWN, 15 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4915L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.