Skip to content

GAA19CA106

2018-12-30 · Caldwell, New Jersey, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport CDW

Current FAA registration · N2651R

Make / Model
CESSNA 172R
Year of manufacture
1998 · 20 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING I0360 SER (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19981118
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A2941B

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

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

Factual narrative

The chief pilot of the flight school reported that, after the student pilot had performed two landings with the flight instructor, the flight instructor exited the airplane, and the student performed a solo flight around the pattern. After the 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. 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. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed pilot - C
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-Sloped/uneven terrain-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2018_GAA19CA106.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type. All research papers