North American SNJ-6 accident near Readington, New Jersey, August 16, 2014
On August 16, 2014 at about 2:00 pm local time, a 1958 North American SNJ-6, registered N211A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Readington, New Jersey (Solberg-Hunterdon airport). It was a personal 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 failure to maintain aircraft control during landing which resulted in an aircraft nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2014 · about 2:00 pm local time · cases in 2014
- Place
- Readington, New Jersey · Solberg-Hunterdon · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American SNJ-6, built 1958 · all SNJ-6s on the register
- Registration
- N211A · registry record · serial 121-42318
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While landing on a 3,442 foot long by 200 foot wide turf runway, the pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane touched down in a 3 point attitude. He advised that his approach was normal and on speed, and the airplane touched down normally at 60 to 63 miles per hour and began to decelerate. The turf was a "bit rough" and had some areas that were bumpier than others. The airplane hit a bump at around 30-35 MPH and launched back in to the air to an estimated altitude of about 6 to 8 feet above ground level in a nose high attitude. The airplane then touched down tail first, then the main landing gear touched down. The tail then bounced back in the air and continued to climb up, forcing the plane to wheel barrel for about 50 feet then the propeller struck the ground, the engine cowling contacted the ground, and the airplane nosed over onto its back in the center of the runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that it had incurred substantial damage to multiple areas including the propeller, engine cowling, cockpit canopy, vertical stabilizer, rudder, and left wing.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 21,000 hours in all; 2,100 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 10,090 as pilot in command; 1,050 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 24, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,015 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R1340 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SMQ Somerville NJ at 1:50 pm
- Destination: N51 Readington NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,442 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from SMQ, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on December 8, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statement and Interview Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records - Ksmq Metars | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1 - Main Wreckage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2 - Vertical Stabilizer and Rudder (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 3 - Left Wing Tip (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N211A on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- North American SNJ-6 32 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- North American 1,297 aircraft on the register
- Engine: P&W R1340 SERIES 1,229 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Solberg/Hunterdon Airport · nearest airport
- Somerset Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in New Jersey 1,189 since 1982 · 136 in the last ten years
- New Jersey 3,017 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA14CA394.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.