Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Essex County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Caldwell, New Jersey 07004
Saturday, February 18, 2012 13:17 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The student pilot was returning to his home airport following a solo cross-country flight. He obtained the airport's automated weather advisory and learned that the wind was reported to be variable at 6 knots. He subsequently entered the airport traffic pattern and attempted to land the airplane. The pilot was having difficulty with the wind gusts and became uncomfortable as the airplane touched down on the runway, so he aborted the landing. During the second landing attempt, the pilot crabbed the airplane until just before touchdown. Immediately after touchdown, a gust of wind from the right blew the airplane to the left. The pilot "lost control," and the airplane departed the left side of the runway, crossed a grassy area and a taxiway, and struck a taxiway sign. During the collision, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the left horizontal stabilizer was substantially damaged. The weather conditions reported about 40 minutes after the accident included a 20-degree right quartering headwind at 8 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The student pilot’s loss of directional control during a crosswind landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/18/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1317 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Caldwell |
| Event State | NEW JERSEY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 07004 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 405231N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0741653W |
| Event Location Airport | Essex County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CDW |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 172 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1353 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CDW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 172 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 9500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.92 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29914 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA EROCC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 22 2012 9:42AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N506SP |
| NTSB Number | ERA12CA189 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172S |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 172S8363 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 15 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3438 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | OVER & OVER LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAFAYETTE |
| Aircraft Owner State | NJ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 07848-3601 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Century Air |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Fairfield |
| Operator State | NJ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 07004 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | RDG |
| Departure City | Reading |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1220 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | CDW |
| Destination City | Caldwell |
| Destination State | NJ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 22 2012 9:42AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 22 |
| Runway Length | 4552 |
| Runway Width | 80 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |