Cessna 172M N64453

Summary

On 16 September 1998 at about 23:40 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N64453, operated by Sparta Aviation, Inc., was involved in an accident near Teterboro, New Jersey, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 September 1998 at 23:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Teterboro, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Teterboro (TEB)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 172M

Registration

N64453

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Sparta Aviation, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hudson → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

NYC98LA189

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane. Factors in this accident were the night light conditions, and pilot's lack of recent night flight experience.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot landed at his destination at night. While taxing, he was unable to locate the airplane's taxi/landing, and panel lights. He was given progressive taxi instructions by the ground controller, and was instructed to make a right turn onto taxiway 'B' and to 'expedite' his crossing of runway 1/19. The pilot made a right turn onto taxiway 'B' and applied power. He said it was 'absolutely dark' and he did not see the taxiway center line lights anymore. The pilot lost control of the airplane, struck the sign for the 'P/L/B' intersection, and traveled about 50 feet past the sign, into the runway 1/19 safety area. Taxiway 'B' contained center line lighting only, and all of the taxiway center line lights were functional. Examination of the wreckage did not revealed any pre-impact abnormalities. A check of the airplane's landing/taxi light revealed it worked normally. The pilot reported about 210 hours of total flight experience, of which about 65 hours were in make and model. The pilot stated he possessed a total of about 10 hours of night flight experience and had not flown at night since 1973.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.