Cessna 172 accident near Caldwell, New Jersey, December 30, 2018
On December 30, 2018 at about 9:20 pm local time, a 1998 Cessna 172, registered N2651R, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Caldwell, New Jersey (Essex County airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 30, 2018 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Caldwell, New Jersey · Essex County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 R, built 1998 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N2651R · registry record · serial 17280542
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The chief pilot of the flight school reported that, after the student pilot had performed two landings with the flight instructor, the instructor exited the airplane, and the student performed a solo flight around the traffic pattern. After a full-stop landing, the student added full power for another takeoff, but the airplane veered left. The student added rudder inputs to correct, but the airplane exited the runway, struck a berm, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The chief pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with 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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Landing gear collapse during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Contributed to outcome
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 60 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,460.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 28, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 678 hours total
- Operator: Air Fleet Training Systems Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: CDW Caldwell NJ at 9:00 pm
- Destination: CDW Caldwell NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 4,552 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KCDW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on April 2, 2019. 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 |
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.