Cessna 172M and Piper PA28 accident near Englishtown, New Jersey, December 14, 2024
On December 14, 2024 at about 7:25 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Cessna 172M (N9137H) and Piper PA28 (N8454H), were involved in the same accident near Englishtown, New Jersey (Old Bridge airport). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The high wing airplane flight crew’s failure to maintain directional control while taxiing, which resulted in a collision with the stationary low wing airplane.
The high wing airplane flight crew’s failure to maintain directional control while taxiing, which resulted in a collision with the stationary low wing airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 14, 2024 · about 7:25 pm local time
- Place
- Englishtown, New Jersey · Old Bridge · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna 172M, built 1976 · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N9137H · registry record · serial 17265966
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Piper PA28 181, built 1981 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N8454H · registry record · serial 28-8290050
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 172M final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot of the high wing airplane was taxiing to the runway for takeoff while the pilot of the low wing airplane was holding short of the taxiway to allow the high wing airplane to pass. The student pilot in the high wing airplane reported applying both brakes to slow and make the turn to the runway, but the brakes did not respond as he had expected, which he verbalized to the flight instructor. Despite the flight instructor’s subsequent application of left brake and rudder control inputs, the airplane veered to the right and the high wing airplane’s right wing passed through the propeller arc of the low wing airplane resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. The flight instructor onboard the high wing airplane stated that earlier during the taxi, the student pilot had reported that the high wing airplane’s left brake was noticeably “weaker” than the right. The flight instructor advised the student that the airplane typically required more left brake input relative to right brake input, after which the student continued to taxi without further incident. Postaccident examination of the high wing airplane’s braking system revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 NTSB's narrative for the Piper PA28 final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot of the high wing airplane was taxiing to the runway for takeoff while the pilot of the low wing airplane was holding short of the taxiway to allow the high wing airplane to pass. The student pilot in the high wing airplane reported applying both brakes to slow and make the turn to the runway, but the brakes did not respond as he had expected, which he verbalized to the flight instructor. Despite the flight instructor’s subsequent application of left brake and rudder control inputs, the airplane veered to the right and the high wing airplane’s right wing passed through the propeller arc of the low wing airplane resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. The flight instructor onboard the high wing airplane stated that earlier during the taxi, the student pilot had reported that the high wing airplane’s left brake was noticeably “weaker” than the right. The flight instructor advised the student that the airplane typically required more left brake input relative to right brake input, after which the student continued to taxi without further incident. Postaccident examination of the high wing airplane’s braking system revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 for the Cessna 172M from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during taxi (to runway)
- Loss of control on ground during taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,475 hours in all; 629 in this make and model; 167 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 1,313 as pilot in command; 1,030 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 11, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,711.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 22, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pilots Flying School LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 3,594 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.89 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from BLM, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KBLM 141856Z AUTO 01007KT 10SM CLR 01/M11 A3089 RMK AO2 SLP462 T00061106 FZRANO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
The factual record for the Piper PA28 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during taxi
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot of other aircraft
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 127 hours in all; 57 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 30, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 4,500 hours total
- Operator: Pilots Flying School LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on July 17, 2025. 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 Piper | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 Cessna | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Maintenance Inspection Times N9137H | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Inspector's Statement, Brake Exam | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA25LA092.