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Atlas / NTSB / NYC90LA102

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event NYC90LA102

1990-05-08 WEST MILFORD, New Jersey, United States Airport · 4N1 None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI). RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE CFI'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE AS AN INSTRUCTOR.

Factual narrative

THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI) & STUDENT WERE PERFORMING MAX PERFORMANCE TAKEOFFS. JUST AFTER LIFTOFF, THE CFI DECIDED THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLEAR THE TREES AT THE AIRPORT BOUNDARY. HE ABORTED THE TAKEOFF AND LANDED BACK ONTO THE RUNWAY WITH ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE RUNWAY REMAINING. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED OFF THE END AND INTO A PILE OF ROCKS. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES WITH THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE CFI HAD ONLY 32 HOURS AS AN INSTRUCTOR. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_NYC90LA102.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.