- Date
- March 17, 1994, 19:30 local (Mar 18, 1994, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fairfield, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9585BCessna 172RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 7, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940317005679A
- Case key
- 38741
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 failure of the pilot to attain a proper touchdown, at the proper speed which resulted in an overrun and contact with a fence. A factor was the failure of the pilot to follow his initial air traffic instructions.
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
With winds from 320 to 330 degrees, at 8 to 10 knots, the pilot was cleared for a left crosswind entry to rwy 4. Instead he lined up with rwy 9. The local controller saw this and then cleared him to land on rwy 9 which was 3721 feet long. The airplane ran off the departure end of the rwy, crossed 325 feet of open field, went through a fence, up an embankment and came to rest on a 4 lane road. There were 500 feet of skid marks on the rwy, and the airplane traveled 375 feet beyond the departure end of the rwy. The pilot said he landed long, without flaps, carried extra power, and floated. He said his touchdown speed was 85 knots. Runway 9 was 830 feet shorter than runway 4.
Factual narrative
On March 17, 1994, at 1930 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172RG, N9585B, owned and operated by MAC DAN Aviation of Fairfield, New Jersey, overran the runway and struck a fence. The airplane received substantial damage. One passenger received minor injuries. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91.
When interviewed after the accident, the pilot said he landed long, without flaps, carried extra power, and floated. He said his touchdown speed was 85 knots.
Skid marks were found which started near the departure end of runway 9 and continued to the departure end which measured 500 feet. The skid marks continued across grass and through a fence which measured 325 feet from the departure end of runway 9. The skid marks then went up an embankment and continued onto a 4 lane roadway where the airplane was found with collapsed landing gear, 375 feet from the departure end of runway 9.
According to the Airport/Facility Directory, runway 4 is 4553 feet long and 80 feet wide, runway 9 is 3721 feet long, 75 feet wide, both had an asphalt surface.
A review of the air/ground transcript supplied by the Caldwell Air Traffic Control Tower revealed the pilot was initially cleared for a left crosswind entry for runway 4 which was acknowledged. The local controller then said, "...Cutlass eight five bravo you appear to be lined for runway niner, ah, if you want runway niner you're cleared to land, winds, ah, three three zero at eight." The pilot replied, "Eight five bravo apologize about that sir, cleared to land runway niner."
The pilot held a private pilot certificate. He had a total time of 360 hours with 140 hours in the Cessna 172RG. In addition, according to the pilot's log book, his last 2 night flights occurred on November 4, 1993, with a duration of 1.1 hours and with 2 landings, and on September 19, 1993, with a duration of 2.5 hours and with 2 landings.
The pilot failed to complete the NTSB form 6120.1/2 as required.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9585B
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0900
- Airframe hours
- 5,776
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-F1A6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mac Dan Aviation
- Registered owner
- Levinair Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Provisional (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 5, 1994 · 84 hours before
- Departed
- BLM · Farmingdale, NJ
- Airport
- CDW · Essex County, runway 9, 3,721 × 75 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
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 360 total · 140 in this make and model · 320 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 310° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CDW
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.