# NTSB NYC02LA134: Cessna 172, N1502E, West Milford, NJ, July 11, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 11, 2002, 13:45 local (17:45 UTC) - Place: West Milford, NJ - Coordinates: 41.128612, -74.345832 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1286&lon=-74.3458&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 25, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA\FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 55165 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC02LA134 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/55165/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55165 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC02LA134 ## Probable cause The flight instructor's improper recovery from a bounced landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - recovery from bounced landing - improper, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) ## Analysis The flight instructor over flew the airport, and identified runway 24 as the favored runway. He entered left downwind, selected flaps to 10 degrees, turned base, and then final. On final, the VASI was white over white. The airplane touched down, bounced "high" into the air, and then touched down nosewheel first about 20 feet left of centerline. The airplane "veered" left, exited the runway, and continued approximately 470 feet before coming to a stop on the parallel taxiway. The pilot did not experience any preimpact failures with either the engine or the airframe, and elected not to execute a go-around because of a cliff located at the departure end of the runway. A weather observation taken 8 minutes before the accident about 21 miles to the southeast of the accident site recorded the wind as 030 degrees at 7 knots. ## Factual narrative On July 11, 2002, about 1345 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N1502E, was substantially damaged while landing at the Greenwood Lake Airport (4N1), West Milford, New Jersey. The certificated flight instructor, and both passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the promotional flight that departed the Essex County Airport, (CDW), Fairfield, New Jersey, about 1315. A flight plan was not filed, and the flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the flight instructor, he over flew 4N1, and identified that the winds favored runway 24. He entered a left downwind for the runway, selected flaps to 10 degrees, turned base, and then final. On final, the VASI was white over white, and just prior to touching down, the pilot noticed the airspeed increase from approximately 75 to 90 knots. The airplane touched down, bounced "high" into the air, and then touched down nosewheel first about 20 feet left of centerline. The airplane "veered" left, exited the runway, and continued approximately 470 feet before coming to a stop on the parallel taxiway. The pilot added that he did not experience any preimpact failures with either the engine or the airframe, and that he elected not to execute a go-around because of a cliff located at the departure end of runway 24. A weather observation was taken 8 minutes before the accident at CDW, which was located 21 miles to the southeast of the accident site. According to the observation, the wind was 030 degrees at 7 knots, visibility was 10 miles, sky clear, temperature was 72 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point was 43 degrees Fahrenheit, and the altimeter setting was 30.11 inches of mercury. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1502E](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1502E-2002-10-21), registration cancelled 2002-10-21, S/N 17271026, built 1978 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172 - Registry model: [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (registry code 2072434) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17271026 - Airframe hours: 7256 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-H2AD 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Other work use, Part 91 - Operator: Caldwell Flight Academy, doing business as Caldwell Flight Academy - Registered owner: Airam Leasing, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, May 16, 2002, 70 hours before - Departed: CDW, Caldwell, NJ - Destination: 4N1, West Milford, NJ - Airport: 4N1, Greenwood Lake, runway 24, 4,000 × 60 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 45; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review November 15, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 720 total, 650 in this make and model, 620 as pilot in command, 125 in the last 90 days, 40 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 30° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 43 °F - Altimeter: 30.11 inHg - Observed at: CDW, 21 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020711032659A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020711032659A), Jul 11, 2002: Cessna 172N, West Milford, NJ, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot stated he was high on approach with VASI white/white, flaps 10 degrees with 70-75KIAS, airspeed increasing when he pulled back on control wheel as… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 19, 2003, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55165. 888 KB in all. - Memorandums for Record (item 1, .PDF, 47 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182064&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandums%20for%20Record-Master.PDF - Accident Area Diagram (item 2, .PDF, 35 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182065&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Accident%20Area%20Diagram-Master.PDF - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 3, .PDF, 807 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182066&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.