Cessna 120 accident near Warwick, New York, June 5, 2021
On June 5, 2021 at about 5:50 pm local time, a 1947 Cessna 120, registered N1899N, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Warwick, New York (Warwick Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to attain a proper touchdown point, which resulted in the airplane contacting the ground short of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2021 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Warwick, New York · Warwick Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120, built 1947 · all 120s on the register
- Registration
- N1899N · no longer on the register · serial 12143
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, as he descended below a tree line on final approach to land, the airplane’s descent rate rapidly increased. He attempted to stop the descent by adding power and pitching up, but the airplane contacted the ground about 10 ft before the runway’s edge, on rough, slightly rising terrain. The left main landing gear wheel collided with the ground and separated from the gear strut. The airplane nosed down and continued across the ground before coming to rest in an upright position, partially resting on the left wing. The airplane’s left wing and fuselage were substantially damaged during the accident sequence. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Landing area undershoot during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 979 hours in all; 513 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 894 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 30, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,082 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 25, 2021; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 3,550 hours total
- Operator: Njc120 LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21R, 2,100 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 14 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from KMGJ, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMGJ 051754Z AUTO 26014G18KT 10SM CLR 31/16 A2986 RMK AO2 SLP110 T03110161 10311 20189 58015
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 31, 2021. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.