Cessna 172 N3958S
13 November 2019 · Toms River, New Jersey, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 13 November 2019 at about 18:30 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N3958S was involved in an accident near Toms River, New Jersey, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Toms River, New Jersey, United States
- Nearest airport
- Ocean County (MJX)
- Coordinates
- 39.9208, -74.2961
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172
- Registration
- N3958S
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1964
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Toms River → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA20LA034
People
2 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Probable cause
The failure of the Cessna 172N pilot to see and avoid a second airplane while maneuvering in the traffic pattern, which resulted in a midair collision. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the Cessna 172N pilot to tune his radio to the correct traffic advisory frequency for the destination airport.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Two airplanes, a Cessna 172E and a Cessna 172N, collided in midair while in the traffic pattern over the approach end of the runway. The pilot of the Cessna 172E announced his position while on downwind, base, and final approach to landing. The pilot of the Cessna 172N approached the airport and announced his intention on the common traffic advisory frequency to practice a simulated engine-out maneuver followed by a descent to set up for left base leg of the traffic pattern for runway 32. While about 100 ft over the approach end of the runway, the airplanes collided, with the Cessna 172N striking the Cessna 172E from above. Both airplanes landed safely, but an examination revealed that both incurred substantial damage to their right wings. The radio in the Cessna 172N was found tuned to the wrong frequency. It is likely that the pilot of the Cessna 172N thought he switched the radio to the correct frequency and failed to maintain an adequate visual lookout, which resulted in a midair collision on short final. Because his radio was tuned to the wrong frequency, his transmissions were not heard by other pilots in the vicinity of the airport and he was not able to hear other traffic callouts.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 172 E | N3958S | - | Substantial |
| Cessna 172 N | N2148E | - | Substantial |
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Aug 2019 | Cessna 172 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | T&G Flying Club | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jun 2019 | Cessna 172 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Westwind School of Aeronautics Phoenix Llc | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jul 2019 | Cessna 172 | Anji, China | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 11 May 2019 | Cessna 172 | Dexter, Michigan, United States | Solo Aviation | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Nov 2019 | Cessna 172 | DuBois, Pennsylvania, United States | Hobart Aviation Inc | No injuries | - |
| 14 Mar 2019 | Cessna 172 | Lakeway, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 May 2019 | Aero Commander 695 | Mount Holly, New Jersey, United States | Jersey Ordnance Inc | No injuries | - |
| 24 Sep 2019 | Cessna 172 | Manville, New Jersey, United States | Rtd Aviation Llc | No injuries | - |
| 29 May 2019 | Mooney M20J | Cape May, New Jersey, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 29 Jun 2019 | Schweizer SGS233 | Blairstown, New Jersey, United States | Jersey Ridge Soaring LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Jun 2019 | Beechcraft 35 | Caldwell, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Jun 2019 | Cirrus SR22 | Trenton, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |