The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:
N8074E LLC
Location: Toms River, New Jersey
Accident Number: ERA22LA217
Date and Time: May 1, 2022, 18:20 Local
Registration: N737LY
Aircraft: Cessna 172N
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of engine power (total)
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional
Analysis
The flight instructor reported that, during an instructional flight, he told the student to set up for landing on runway 6. When they were at an altitude of about 400 ft above ground level, the flight instructor told him to apply full power since for a go-around. When the student applied full power, the engine did not respond. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and tried to land on runway 24. The flight instructor knew they would not make the runway, so he tried to land in the grass and the left wing contacted a fence and flipped the airplane over, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings, the vertical stabilizer and horizontal
stabilizer. The flight instructor stated that he thought the throttle cable had become disconnected.
A postaccident examination revealed that the throttle cable was not connected to the carburetor. An AN drilled bolt was found at the bottom of the cowling; however, the castellated nut was not located.
Review of the maintenance logbooks revealed that the engine had been recently overhauled and installed in the airplane.
Further conversations with the flight instructor, who was also the mechanic, stated that it is possible he forgot to install the cotter pin into the castellated nut and the bolt fell out.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
Loss of engine power due to the throttle linkage becoming disconnected in flight due to improper maintenance.
Findings
Personnel issues Installation - Maintenance personnel
Aircraft (general) - Related maintenance info
Organizational issues Oversight of maintenance - Operator
Factual Information
History of Flight
Approach-VFR go-around Loss of engine power (total) (Defining event)
Pilot Information
Certificate: Airline transport; Flight engineer
Age: 74,Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land; Multi-engine land
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane multi-engine; Airplane single-engine
Toxicology Performed:
Medical Certification: Class 2 With waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: August 7, 2022
Occupational Pilot: Yes Last Flight Review or Equivalent: January 22, 2022
Flight Time: 23000 hours (Total, all aircraft), 11000 hours (Total, this make and model), 14700 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 70 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 21 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 8 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)
Student pilot Information
Certificate: None
Age: Male
Airplane Rating(s): None
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed:
Medical Certification: None
Last FAA Medical Exam:
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 72 hours (Total, all aircraft), 72 hours (Total, this make and model)
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Cessna Registration: N737LY
Model/Series: 172N
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1977
Amateur Built:
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 17269512
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: March 13, 2022 Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2300 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 6300 Hrs as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-320
Registered Owner:
Rated Power: 160
Operator:
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KNEL,103 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 7 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 18:00 Local
Direction from Accident Site: 338°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 9500 ft AGL
Visibility: 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 9 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 140°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.06 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 18°C / 4°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Englishtown, NJ (3N6)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Toms River, NJ
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 17:00 Local
Type of Airspace: Class G
Airport Information
Airport: Ocean county airport KMJX
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 86 ft msl
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 24
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 5950 ft / 100 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Simulated forced landing
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 2 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: On-ground
Ground Injuries:
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude: 39.927425,-74.294197(est)
Location: Toms River, New Jersey
Accident Number: ERA22LA217
Date and Time: May 1, 2022, 18:20 Local
Registration: N737LY
Aircraft: Cessna 172N Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional
On May 1, 2022, at 1820 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N737LY, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Toms River, New Jersey. The flight instructor and student pilot had no injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.
According to the flight instructor, he stated they took off from Old Bridge Airport (3N6), Old Bridge, New Jersey about 1700 and flew to Ocean County Airport (MJX), Toms River, New Jersey, to practice some landings. The first landing was a straight-in approach to runway 14 and it went well. The second landing was a simulated engine out and it went well. The third landing was going to be another
simulated engine out on runway 14 but when the student pilot turned the airplane for final approach, they were too high. The flight instructor asked the student pilot what he would do in this instance and the student pilot said he would land on runway 6. The flight instructor told him to set up for landing on runway 6 and when they were at an altitude of about 400 ft above ground level, the flight instructor told him to go ahead and apply full power since it all looked good. When the student applied full power, the engine did not respond. The flight instructor took over control of the airplane and tried to land on runway 24. The flight instructor knew they would not make the runway, so he tried to land in the grass. The left wing contacted a fence and flipped the airplane over. The airplane came to rest inverted. Both pilots egressed the airplane. The grass caught fire from the wing contacting the fence, but the airplane did not catch on fire.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the right outer wing was bent down 90 degrees and the main spar was bent. The vertical and horizontal stabilizer was fractured off and only held on by control cables. The main landing gear was fractured off. The left-wing leading edge was damaged by contacting the fence and bent the main spar. The nose landing gear was separated off.
The airplane was retained for further examination.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N737LY
Model/Series: 172N
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
Operator:
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KNEL,103 ft msl
Observation Time: 18:00 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 7 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 18°C /4°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 9500 ft AGL
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 9 knots / , 140°
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.06 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Old Bridge, NJ (3N6)
Destination: Toms River, NJ
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 2 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: On-ground
Ground Injuries:
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude: 39.927425,-74.294197 (est)
Aircraft crashed into the perimeter fence after engine issues and caught on fire.
Date: 01-MAY-22
Time: 22:20:00Z
Regis#: N737LY
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 172
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: INSTRUCTION
Flight Phase: UNKNOWN (UNK)
Operation: 91
City: TOMS RIVER
State: NEW JERSEY
A small plane crashed Sunday afternoon into a fence alongside County Route 530 at Ocean County Airport in Berkeley.
"Nobody was injured. Everybody got out ok," said Berkeley Police Sgt. Taylor Butler.
A pilot and flight instructor, who were not identified, were inside the plane when it crashed, he said.
The Ocean County Sheriff's Department is leading the investigation due to the proximity of the crash to County Route 530.
We have a confirmed plane crash at Robert J. Miller Air Park in Berkeley Township with a fuel spill.
Emergency responders are on the scene.
It appears the pilot and any passengers were able to vacate the plane.
It is unknown if there are injuries at this time.
I live at Pine Ridge and we saw the plane circling but had no idea they crashed thank God they did not get hurt
ReplyDeleteappears wing tank breached, and possible a small grass fire was extinguished.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast to the Red Bull 182 crash, the pilot was inside this airplane when it crashed according to the Police Sgt.
ReplyDeleteLOL well we won't be seeing any Red Bull aerial daredevil stunts again any time soon, that can be assured. RB is lucky the FAA doesn't ban their sponsorship for anything aviation related like air racing or warbird support (so far anyway, and knowing the FAA these days, they may already have that on the table of discussion).
DeleteThis type of survived accident with energy dissipated by deforming metal is a reminder that traditional aluminum structure and skin aircraft have an occupant protection advantage over rigid composite designs. Progressive energy dissipation by metal deformation vs. minimal energy dissipation available in composite designs can be the difference that saves a life in moderate severity crashes.
ReplyDelete