Event NYC93FA158

History of the Flight On August 15, 1993, about 1440 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N5226E, piloted by Mr. Steven Janzen, collided in midair with another airplane a Cessna 172P, N96135, piloted by Mr. Ralph Johns, while in the landing traffic pattern at the Lincoln Park Airport, Lincoln Park, New Jersey. Both airplanes were destroyed. The pilot of N5226E was fatally injured. The pilot of N96135 was seriously injured and two persons on the ground received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plans had been filed. The flights were being conducted under 14 CFR 91. According to Mr. Johns statement on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2: ...I had done 3 landings and take-off's and was approaching for the fourth landing when the accident occurred. Runway 01, which has right traffic, was in use...while on crosswind I heard someone call "entering on the 45 [Entering the traffic pattern, in this case, right downwind at a 45 degree angle]." After turning, calling and establishing on downwind I saw the other aircraft entering on the 45 so I slowed to maintain spacing. I continued downwind to a point where the aircraft in front of me had turned base. When he turned final I turned base and called the turn on UNICOM. While on base I observed the aircraft ahead of me on short final and heard another aircraft [N5226E] call downwind. Feeling that the spacing was good I called and made my turn to final. After establishing on final I was looking for the aircraft ahead of me on the runway when I saw a flash out of my right eye and heard the loud bang of the collision. Moments later I saw the other aircraft descending inverted...I tried to make it to the runway...I was losing altitude too rapidly to clear the trees... Mr. Gary Nelson, a pilot, who flies out of the Lincoln Park Airport, was at the airport and witnessed the midair collision. Mr. Nelson wrote in his statement: A/C [aircraft] #1 [N96135] was on final for runway 1, wings level, descending. A/C #2 [N5226E] was turning from right base to final, at about [a] 30 degree bank. [The] left wing of A/C #2 touched A/C #1 from below. A/C #2 rolled right, inverted and spun...A/C #1 continued on final, wings level...could not reach the runway. Crashed in trees short of the runway. The accident occurred during the hours of daylight approximately 40 degrees, 56 minutes north, and 74 degrees, 18 minutes west.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

N5226E Mr. Steven Janzen was born on June 22, 1959. He held a Student Pilot Certificate, No. DD1121016, with no ratings. Mr. Janzen was issued a Third Class Airman Medical Certificate on June 6, 1992, with limitations. Mr. Janzen's records showing his total flight hours were not located. It was estimated from information provided by his flight instructor that he had a total of 64.3 flight hours, all in Cessna 172 aircraft. N96135 Mr. Ralph Johns was born on October 7, 1945. He held a Private Pilot Certificate, No. 277428859, with a single engine land airplane rating. Mr. Johns was issued a Third Class Airman Medical Certificate on December 10, 1992, with limitations for vision. Mr. John's records showing his total flight hours revealed that he had a total of 135 flight hours, 82 hours in Cessna 172 aircraft, 6 hours of night flight, and had flown 7.5 hours in the 90 days prior to the accident.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The wreckage of both airplanes were examined at the accident site on August 15-16, 1993. The accident site was approximately one mile south of runway 01's threshold. Both airplanes came to rest off the pavement of Beaverbrook Road, a north-south two lane road. N5226E impacted approximately one-quarter mile south of N96135, on the east side of the road, in a ravine, and in a brook, that runs parallel to the road. After the midair collision N96135 continued in a northerly direction until impacting trees. After impact with the trees, on the east side of the road, the right wing separated from the airplane and struck an automobile that was traveling in a southerly direction. Examination of N5226E revealed that the left horizontal stabilizer struck N96135 just aft of the right rear door post. Red paint transfer from N96135 was located on N5226E's left stabilizer. The impact damage to the stabilizer, and the impact damage to the aft of N96135's right rear door matched. There was also a black scuff mark on the left fuselage of N5226E, just aft of the cabin area, which coincided with scuff marks on N96135's right main tire. No propeller strike marks were observed on either airplane. Both wings of N5226E displayed impact damage to the leading edge. Flight control continuity was established to all the flight controls. Both fuel tanks were ruptured, and no fuel was observed. N5226E's engine was displaced rearward into the passenger compartment. The propeller remained attached to the engine and chord wise scratches, and blade bending was observed. Visual examination of the engine revealed no discrepancies. N96135's cabin area remained intact and displayed some deformation. The left wing displayed an impact mark along the leading edge approximately at the mid span location. The right wing separated from the airframe when the airplane made contact with the trees, and was found draped around the front windshield of an automobile. The aileron and flap control cables were separated, as a result of the right wing separation. Continuity was established to all other flight controls. Examination of the engine revealed no discrepancies. The propeller remained attached to the engine and the blades displayed chord wise marks and leading edge damage.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on Mr. Steven Janzen, on August 16, 1993, at the Medical Examiner's Office, in Morristown, New Jersey by Dr. Joan A. Obe. The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was, "... multiple injuries..." The toxicological tests were conducted at the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA), Toxicology and Accident Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and revealed, "... no drugs or alcohol where found." Toxicological tests were conducted on Mr. Ralph Johns at the New Jersey State Forensic Laboratory, Trenton, New Jersey, on August 16, 1993, and revealed, "... no drugs or alcohol where found."

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The wreckage of N5226E, and N96135 were released to their respective owner's insurance adjusters, on August 16, 1993. CESSNA N96135 WAS IN RT TRAFFIC FOR THE 4TH IN A SERIES OF LANDINGS ON RWY 01, AND WAS ESTABLISHED ON FINAL WHEN THE COLLISION OCCURRED. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE OTHER AIRPLANE, CESSNA N5226E, ON BASE LEG, TURNING RIGHT FROM BASE TO FINAL, JUST PRIOR TO THE IMPACT. THE WITNESS OBSERVED N5226E STRIKE N96135 ON THE RIGHT SIDE, WHILE N5226E WAS IN A RIGHT TURN. AFTER IMPACT N5226E, FELL VERTICALLY TO THE GROUND AND IMPACTED ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE ROAD, IN A RAVINE ABOUT ONE QUARTER MILE SOUTH OF N96135'S IMPACT LOCATION. AFTER IMPACT THE PILOT OF N96135 TRIED TO MAKE THE RUNWAY, BUT COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, AND ELECTED TO LAND IN THE TREES. AS THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE TREES, THE RIGHT WING SEPARATED, AND STRUCK AN AUTOMOBILE TRAVELLING SOUTH ON THE ROAD. PAINT TRANSFER AND IMPACT MARKS ON N5226E WERE OBSERVED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE MARKS ON N96135 WERE ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THERE WERE TWO MINOR INJURIES IN THE AUTOMOBILE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12