History of Flight
On April 3, 2010, about 1205 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172E, N5528T, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Greenwood Lake Airport (4N1), West Milford, New Jersey. The certificated private pilot/co-owner was fatally injured, and the student pilot/co-owner was seriously injured. The personal flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions; no flight plan was filed.
According to the previous owner, the airplane had been stored outdoors at Robert J. Miller Airpark (MJX) and not flown between 2007 and March 2010. The two co-owners jointly purchased the airplane in March 2010. On March 20, a mechanic accompanied them to MJX. They drained approximately 15 gallons of fuel from the two tanks after water was detected. Some fuel remained because they lacked sufficient containers. The mechanic removed and reinstalled spark plugs, checked compression, removed and reinstalled fuel drains, removed bird nests, and serviced the nose gear strut. Fuel was purchased at MJX, and the pilot-rated co-owner flew the airplane in the traffic pattern. After landing, the engine could not be restarted but started successfully after cooling. The plan to relocate the airplane was postponed due to weather.
On March 27, the same individuals again drove to MJX. The pilot-rated co-owner and the mechanic flew the airplane to Orange County Airport (MGJ), Montgomery, New York. The mechanic stated he never saw maintenance records and did not perform any maintenance entries; the airplane's annual inspection was expired, and no ferry permit was obtained.
On the accident day, a line service person at 4N1 reported seeing the co-owners examining logs around 0800–0830. They were later absent. An acquaintance expected to meet them at Lincoln Park Airport (N07) around noon, but they did not arrive.
A witness observed the airplane take off from runway 6 at 4N1, turning south, low and slow, with an unusual engine sound described as "hit and miss." The witness lost sight after about 40 seconds. Other witnesses near the accident site saw the airplane strike treetops; no engine sound was heard, and some noted the propeller was not visible. The airplane entered an extreme right-wing-down attitude. One witness saw it at about 90 degrees right wing down, with no engine operating. The airplane came to rest inverted in a wooded area about 1.8 miles south-southwest of the runway threshold.
Personnel Information
The pilot-rated co-owner held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land rating. His most recent FAA third-class medical was in August 2008. He reported 1,221 total flight hours on an insurance application. The student pilot co-owner held a student pilot certificate. His logbook indicated 16 hours in 1983, then 1 hour in 2007 and 1 hour in 2008, and 75.9 hours starting March 2009 in an Ercoupe 415. He had flown a Cessna 172 once for 0.7 hours in May 2009.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1964. A supplemental type certificate allowed automotive gasoline use. No fuel indicating alcohol-use decals were present on the wings, but paint/corrosion patterns suggested they once were. No FAA records of the co-owners' purchase were found.
Meteorological Information
Weather at an airport 14 miles west at 1153: wind 210° at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 21°C, dew point 7°C, altimeter 30.10 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The main wreckage rested inverted, with the longitudinal axis aligned with the final trajectory. The fuel selector was set to BOTH ON; throttle and carburetor heat controls were full forward; mixture control was pulled aft (lean/idle cut-off). Both fuel tanks were empty; about 1 ounce of fuel was recovered from the vent line; the fuel strainer contained 7 ounces of cloudy blue fuel with water detected. The carburetor bowl held less than 1 ounce of fuel with sediment. The acceleration pump gasket was distorted. No fire occurred.
Medical and Pathological Information
The FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute found no carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, or screened drugs in the pilot-rated co-owner. An autopsy by the New Jersey Office of the State Medical Examiner listed cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries.
Additional Information
GPS data from a handheld unit recovered from the wreckage showed session 27 on the accident day, beginning at 1152 about 5 miles northwest of 4N1, ending at 1157:58 with a final point 300 feet south of the accident site. The data indicated the airplane turned south and then north in the final minute.