Cessna 182A accident near Farmingdale, New Jersey, July 21, 2012
On July 21, 2012 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182A, registered N2166G, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Farmingdale, New Jersey (Monmouth Executive airport). It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2012 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Farmingdale, New Jersey · Monmouth Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N2166G · no longer on the register · serial 51466
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was returning to the airport after dropping off parachutists at 9,000 feet. He said that the flight lasted about 30 minutes, and as he turned onto final approach in the traffic pattern, he pulled the throttle back, and the engine lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing in a field, and the airplane struck some power poles lying on the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or anomaly that would have precluded normal operation. Only residual fuel was recovered from the wing tanks, and there was no fuel in the line from the tanks to the engine. The pilot stated that he should have monitored his fuel gauges more closely.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 473 hours in all; 174 in this make and model; 106 in the last 90 days; 59 in the last 30 days; 386 as pilot in command; 16 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 19, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,190 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 24, 2012; 92 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BLM Farmingdale NJ at 7:30 pm
- Destination: BLM Farmingdale NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 7,371 ft by 85 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 pm from NEL, 14 miles away
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.
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.