- Date
- July 5, 1996, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Greenwood Lake, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6137HCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 10, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960705016439A
- Case key
- 39210
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
failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, during the approach/go-around, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and collision with the terrain.
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 flew to Greenwood Lake Airport for the purpose of practicing landings. According to the student, 'I overflew (the airport) at 2500 feet to study the windsock. The wind appeared to be coming from the west, this favored runway 24. I turned around, descended to 1800 feet, and entered a left downwind pattern for (the runway). On the final approach ... everything appeared normal. There was a slight wind from the 2:00 position, which I corrected using a little right aileron, and left rudder. I was using full flaps (30 degrees), and the power was at idle. I started my flare about 1\3 of the way down the runway, my speed was about 60 knots. When I was about halfway through the flare (about 5 to 10 ft. above the runway), the right wing suddenly dropped. I think the right wing tip may have struck the ground. I added full throttle and left aileron. The plane continued to bank to the right, and climbed a few feet. The plane turned for approximately 180 degrees. I was able to level the wings at this point, but then the nose of the plane dropped, and struck the ground at about a 45 degree angle and slightly banked to the left.' The airplane came to rest about 50 feet from the runway. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions.
Factual narrative
On July 5, 1996, about 1300 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N6137H, a training flight, was substantially damaged at Greenwood Lake Airport, West Milford, New Jersey. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The departure point was Lincoln Park, New Jersey. The local flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot flew to Greenwood Lake Airport for the purpose of practicing landings. According to the pilot, "I overflew (the airport) at 2500 feet to study the windsock. The wind appeared to be coming from the west, this favored runway 24. I turned around, descended to 1800 feet, and entered a left downwind pattern for (the runway). On the final approach ... everything appeared normal. There was a slight wind from the 2:00 position, which I corrected using a little right aileron, and left rudder. I was using full flaps (30 degrees), and the power was at idle."
"I started my flare about 1\3 of the way down the runway, my speed was about 60 knots. When I was about halfway through the flare (about 5 to 10 ft. above the runway), the right wing suddenly dropped. I think the right wing tip may have struck the ground. I added full throttle and left aileron. The plane continued to bank to the right, and climbed a few feet. The plane turned for approximately 180 degrees. I was able to level the wings at this point, but then the nose of the plane dropped, and struck the ground at about a 45 degree angle and slightly banked to the left. "
The airplane came to rest about 50 feet from the runway. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6137H
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15284135
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Frank R. Galella
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- N07 · Lincoln Park, NJ
- Destination
- 4N1
- Airport
- 4N1 · Greenwood Lake, runway 24, 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
- 28
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 35 total · 32 in this make and model · 29 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.