Cessna 172N accident near Farmingdale, New Jersey, December 13, 2013
On December 13, 2013 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 172N, registered N2854E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Farmingdale, New Jersey (Monmouth Executive airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 2013 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Farmingdale, New Jersey · Monmouth Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N N, built 1979 · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N2854E · no longer on the register · serial 17271345
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was landing at his destination airport. He reported that when the airplane was over the runway numbers, he reduced engine power to idle to prepare for landing. During touchdown, the airplane landed hard and bounced. The airplane bounced two additional times before coming to rest on the runway with a blown nose landing gear tire. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the engine firewall. The student pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal flight.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 44 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 7, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,391 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 24, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 3,906 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3N6 Old Bridge NJ at 4:20 pm
- Destination: BLM Belmar/Farmingdale NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 7,371 ft by 85 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from BLM
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.