Cessna 172 accident near Branchville, New Jersey, November 11, 2021
On November 11, 2021 at about 3:48 pm local time, a 2011 Cessna 172, registered N90559, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Branchville, New Jersey. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s failure to recover from a steep spiral turn during an instructional flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 2021 · about 3:48 pm local time
- Place
- Branchville, New Jersey · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 S, built 2011 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N90559 · no longer on the register · serial 172S11076
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on an instructional flight, control of the airplane was lost during a flight maneuver, and the airplane impacted the terrain in a heavily wooded area. Data recovered from the Garmin G1000 integrated flight instrument system revealed that the airplane climbed to a cruise altitude of about 6,400 ft and remained on a northwesterly heading for the first 17 minutes of the flight. The airplane’s airspeed began to decrease due to an engine power reduction from 2,400 rpm to 1,300 rpm. The airplane began to pitch nose up, ultimately reaching a maximum pitch attitude of about 37° as the airspeed slowed to 28 knots indicated. The airplane reached a left-wing-down bank angle of 102° and a nose-down pitch attitude of 79°. The G1000 recorded the airplane’s descent rate at over 8,000 ft/minute 3 seconds later. A surveillance security video showed the airplane in a very steep spiral turn that continued until the airplane was out of view of the camera. Based on the data recovered from the G1000, the reduction of power was intentional, and the aerodynamic stall was induced. The flight instructor’s logbook and receipts from previous flights show the flight instructor and private pilot had practiced steep spiral turns on several occasions. All the major airplane components were located at the accident site. Examination of the airplane and the engine did not reveal any anomalies with the flight controls that would have precluded normal operation. Although toxicological testing of the flight instructor’s blood was positive for THC and the THC metabolite THC-COOH, given the circumstances of this accident and the low concentration found in his blood, it is unlikely that the flight instructor’s performance was impaired by THC at the time of the accident.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,750 hours in all; 14,750 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 440 hours in all; 369 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,868.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 10, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CDW Caldwell NJ at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.32 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from CDW, 15 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KCDW 111453Z 08006KT 10SM CLR 11/01 A3032 RMK AO2 SLP275 T01110006 50000
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
18 documents, released by the NTSB on January 4, 2024. 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.
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.