Cessna 152 accident near Fairfield, New Jersey, April 18, 1999
On April 18, 1999 at about 5:41 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N24707, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairfield, New Jersey (Essex County Airport). It was a personal 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
was the pilot's inadequate compensation for winds and his improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 1999 · about 5:41 pm local time
- Place
- Fairfield, New Jersey · Essex County Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N24707 · no longer on the register · serial 15280531
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he was landing back at his home station after flying in 'bumpy' conditions. He said the airplane touched down smoothly on Runway 27 but was blown back into the air by a wind gust. The airplane bounced, landed hard on the nose wheel, departed the runway to the left, and came to rest in the grass. The pilot reported 93 hours of total flight experience, but none in the 3 to 4 weeks prior to the accident. The winds reported at the time of the accident were from 240 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 19 knots.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 98 hours in all; 98 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 30 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,700 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 20, 1999; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1N7 Blairstown NJ at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,721 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 15 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:41 pm from CDW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.