Event NYC05CA143

Factual narrative

On September 19, 2005, about 1305 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N64763, was substantially damaged while landing at the Essex County Airport (CDW), Caldwell, New Jersey. The certificated student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan and had been filed for the local instructional flight that was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The student pilot was conducting her first solo flight, and had completed two landings to runway 27, a 3,721-foot-long, 75-foot-wide, asphalt runway. During her third landing attempt, a wind gust caused the airplane to balloon, and the airplane touched down angled to the left. The airplane rolled off the left side of the runway, and struck a runway and taxiway sign. The student pilot reported 45 hours of total flight experience, which included 20 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane. Winds reported at the airport about the time of the accident, were variable from 300 to 10 degrees, with the predominate wind from 340 degrees at 7 knots. The student pilot was conducting her first solo flight, and had completed two landings to runway 27, a 3,721-foot-long, 75-foot-wide, asphalt runway. During her third landing attempt, a wind gust caused the airplane to balloon, and the airplane touched down angled to the left. The airplane rolled off the left side of the runway, and struck a runway and taxiway sign. The student pilot reported 45 hours of total flight experience, which included 20 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane. Winds reported at the airport about the time of the accident, were variable from 300 to 10 degrees, with the predominate wind from 340 degrees at 7 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12