Cessna 172N accident near Toms River, New Jersey, May 1, 2022
On May 1, 2022 at about 10:20 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 172N, registered N737LY, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Toms River, New Jersey (Ocean County Airport). It was an instructional 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
Loss of engine power due to the throttle linkage becoming disconnected in flight due to improper maintenance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 2022 · about 10:20 pm local time · cases in 2022
- Place
- Toms River, New Jersey · Ocean County Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N, built 1977 · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N737LY · registry record · serial 17269512
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that, during an instructional flight, he told the student to set up for landing on runway 6. When they were at an altitude of about 400 ft above ground level, the flight instructor told him to apply full power since for a go-around. When the student applied full power, the engine did not respond. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and tried to land on runway 24. The flight instructor knew they would not make the runway, so he tried to land in the grass and the left wing contacted a fence and flipped the airplane over, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings, the vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer. The flight instructor stated that he thought the throttle cable had become disconnected. A postaccident examination revealed that the throttle cable was not connected to the carburetor. An AN drilled bolt was found at the bottom of the cowling; however, the castellated nut was not located. Review of the maintenance logbooks revealed that the engine had been recently overhauled and installed in the airplane. Further conversations with the flight instructor, who was also the mechanic, stated that it is possible he forgot to install the cotter pin into the castellated nut and the bolt fell out.
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 (VFR go-around) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Oversight › Oversight of maintenance › Operator
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › (general) › Related maintenance info other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 23,000 hours in all; 11,000 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 14,700 as pilot in command; 15,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 22, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 72 hours in all; 72 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 13, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 3N6 Englishtown NJ at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,950 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from KNEL, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KNEL 012200Z AUTO 14009KT 10SM FEW095 SCT120 18/04 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP179 T01780044 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – main wreckage, front view (FAA)
Photo 2 – throttle cable disconnected, bolt and nut missing (FAA)The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 14, 2022. 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 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | 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
- N737LY on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,680 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 27,311 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Ocean County · nearest airport
- Old Bridge 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/ERA22LA217.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.