- Date
- October 21, 2005, 13:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- West Milford, NJ
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N46475Cessna 172K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20051021031539A
- Case key
- 62706
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 aircraft control as a result of the installation of an improper pilot seat which moved during the takeoff roll/run..
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 pilot initiated the takeoff roll, and as the airplane accelerated, the pilot's seat slid back to its aft most limit. As a result, the airplane departed the runway, impacted bushes, and incurred substantial damage. A review of the airplane's maintenance logbooks revealed that a new set of seat rails had been installed in the airplane about 31 flight hours prior to the accident. Examination of the seat rails revealed that the inboard rail had been modified with the addition of 5 locking pin holes. The airplane was originally equipped with a single locking pin type seat; however, a dual locking pin type seat was installed. Selection of any seat position, other that the three most aft positions, resulted in partial engagement of a single locking pin, while the other locking pin rested on top of the opposite seat rail. This combination of seat and seat rails was improper.
Factual narrative
The pilot initiated the takeoff roll, and as the airplane accelerated, the pilot's seat slick back to its aft most limit. As a result, the airplane departed the runway, impacted bushes, and incurred substantial damage. A review of the airplane's maintenance logbooks revealed that a new set of seat rails had been installed in the airplane about 31 flight hours prior to the accident. Examination of the seat rails revealed that the inboard rail had been modified with the addition of 5 locking pin holes. The airplane was originally equipped with a single locking pin type seat; however, a dual locking pin type seat was installed. Selection of any seat position, other that the three most aft positions, resulted in partial engagement of a single locking pin, while the other locking pin rested on top of the opposite seat rail. This combination of seat and seat rails was improper.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46475
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17257293
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Greenwood Lake Flight Training
- Registered owner
- V E C Corporation of Deleware
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 4N1 · West Milford, NJ
- Destination
- 4N1
- Airport
- 4N1 · Greenwood Lake Airport, runway 06
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 80 total · 13 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 22, 2005, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 876 KB 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.
Other investigations on N46475 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.