Cessna 172 N2651R

Summary

On 30 December 2018 at about 21:20 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N2651R, operated by Air Fleet Training Systems Inc., was involved in an accident near Caldwell, 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

30 December 2018 at 21:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Caldwell, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Essex County (CDW)

Coordinates

40.8756, -74.2783

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N2651R

Category

Airplane

Year built

1998

Engines

1

Operator

Air Fleet Training Systems Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Caldwell → Caldwell

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA106

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The chief pilot of the flight school reported that, after the student pilot had performed two landings with the flight instructor, the instructor exited the airplane, and the student performed a solo flight around the traffic pattern. After a full-stop landing, the student added full power for another takeoff, but the airplane veered left. The student added rudder inputs to correct, but the airplane exited the runway, struck a berm, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The chief pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.