Cessna 182A accident near Sussex, New Jersey, June 28, 2012
On June 28, 2012 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Cessna 182A, registered N5143D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Sussex, New Jersey (Sussex Airport). It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s delayed decision to abort the landing and perform a go-around, which resulted in a runway overrun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2012 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Sussex, New Jersey · Sussex Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N5143D · registry record · serial 51243
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the final leg of the approach, the airplane was above the intended approach path and speed. Over the threshold of the runway, the airplane encountered a gust of wind. The pilot announced on the common traffic advisory frequency his intention to perform a go-around maneuver. He was unable to perform the maneuver prior to the hard landing; he then proceeded to overrun the runway and the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded wind at the airport about the time of the accident was variable at 4 knots and for the hour before and an hour after the accident the wind was recorded as calm.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 60 in this make and model
- Last flight review: January 30, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,258 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 3,112 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FWN Sussex NJ
- Destination: FWN Sussex NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 3,499 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 4:20 pm from kfwn
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N5143D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.