Casualties unknown

2002-07-11: Cessna 172 (N1502E) — Caldwell Flight Academy — West Milford, NJ

West Milford, NJ, US

On July 11, 2002, a Cessna 172 (registration N1502E) operated by Caldwell Flight Academy was involved in an aviation accident near West Milford, NJ. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The flight instructor's improper recovery from a bounced landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 10 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 1781061362Data APIEditorial standards

During a training flight, the instructor bounced on landing, touched down nosewheel first left of centerline, veered left, exited the runway, and stopped on a parallel taxiway. No preimpact failures were noted.

Approach and Landing

The flight instructor overflew the airport and identified runway 24 as the favored runway. He entered a left downwind, selected flaps to 10 degrees, turned base, and then final. On final approach, the visual approach slope indicator (VASI) showed white over white, indicating a correct glideslope.

The airplane touched down, bounced "high" into the air, and then touched down nosewheel first about 20 feet left of the runway centerline. After touchdown, the airplane "veered" left, exited the runway, and continued approximately 470 feet before coming to a stop on the parallel taxiway.

No Preimpact Failures

The pilot did not experience any preimpact failures with either the engine or the airframe. He elected not to execute a go-around because of a cliff located at the departure end of the runway.

Weather Conditions

A weather observation taken 8 minutes before the accident at a station about 21 miles to the southeast of the accident site recorded the wind as 030 degrees at 7 knots.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20020729X01239. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.