Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sussex Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sussex, New Jersey 07461
Sunday, August 29, 1999 18:50 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
At the conclusion of an airshow held at an uncontrolled airport, pilots reported that someone over the Unicom frequency directed airplanes to depart Runway 21. While waiting for takeoff from Runway 21, several pilots stated that the windsock indicated a direct tailwind. Witnesses observed departing airplanes 'struggling' to climb and coming 'really close' to trees located off the departure end of the runway. The accident airplane departed Runway 21 and impacted the trees located off the departure end of the runway. The airplane then pitched down and impacted in a field. Winds reported at an airport about 38 miles southeast of the accident site were from 340 degrees at 10 knots with 19 knot gusts, and witnesses stated the wind was blowing 'straight down,' and favoring Runway 3.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper decision to takeoff with a tailwind. Factor's in this accident were the tailwind condition and pressure to depart caused by other airplanes performing successful downwind departures.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/29/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1850 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | SUSSEX |
| Event State | NEW JERSEY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 07461 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | SUSSEX |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FWN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 421 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1851 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 130 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TEB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 9 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 38 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 19 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1800 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1322 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 29 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2015 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 10 2001 10:14AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N737CJ |
| NTSB Number | NYC99FA213 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172N |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17269311 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 2 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 20 |
| Airframe Hours | 2647 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SALONGA AVIATION INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 29 CRESTON TERRACE |
| Aircraft Owner City | NORTHPORT |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 11768 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AIR TRANSPORT, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 65 JOHN STREET |
| Operator City | PORT JEFFERSON |
| Operator State | NY |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 11776 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | FWN |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1850 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FRG |
| Destination City | FARMINGDALE |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 10 2001 12:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 21 |
| Runway Length | 3499 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |