- Date
- August 19, 1983, 20:50 local (Aug 20, 1983, 00:50 UTC)
- Place
- Somerville, NJ
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N444FSCessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830819045339A
- Case key
- 35255
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
According to the pilot, as the flight neared the runway it was flared for touchdown. However, the aircraft bounced and the pilot immediately applied full power, pushed the nose forward and raised the electric flap lever. The aircraft did not seem to climb and felt mushy. At this time the nose was pushed forward and in a short time the plane struck the ground, bounced and then settled on the second bounce. The pilot had visual contact with the runway lights but after passing the lights, it became completely dark with almost no forward vision to the horizon.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N444FS
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172-61632
- Airframe hours
- 3,488
- Engine
- Continental O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Alpha Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 20, 1983 · 37 hours before
- Departed
- 7MY · Mt. Holly, NJ
- Destination
- N51
- Airport
- N51 · Solberg-Hunterdon, runway 22, 3,670 × 100 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 349 total · 34 in this make and model · 276 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.