Costruzioni Aeronautiche P2002 Sierra accident near Woodbine, New Jersey, August 16, 2008
On August 16, 2008 at about 2:05 pm local time, a Costruzioni Aeronautiche P2002 Sierra, registered N494ES, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Woodbine, New Jersey (Woodbine Municipal 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 airspeed during a go-around. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's degraded emotional/mental state due to stress.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2008 · about 2:05 pm local time
- Place
- Woodbine, New Jersey · Woodbine Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Costruzioni Aeronautiche P2002 Sierra
- Registration
- N494ES · no longer on the register · serial 201
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot departed and remained in the traffic pattern intending on performing touch-and-go landings. While on final approach with full flaps extended, flying at 10 feet above ground level, the pilot slowed the airplane to 38 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS), though 40 KIAS is the recommended touchdown speed. He reportedly landed, bounced 10 to 15 feet, and applied power to go-around, and he allowed the airplane to decelerate and stall. The airplane was equipped with an electronic flight instrumentation system (EFIS0 that records parameters every 5 seconds including time, date, indicated airspeed, GPS coordinates, ground speed, pitch, pressure altitude, vertical G’s, roll, heading, and slip. Readout of the EFIS revealed the entire accident flight was recorded. Data downloaded from the EFIS indicated that before the airplane stalled the pitch attitude (in degrees) increased to 11.94. The airplane rolled to the left and impacted grass to the left of the runway. There was no preimpact failure or malfunction of the airplane or its systems. The 75 hour student pilot stated that he was under stress due to an issue related to work, and he should not have been flying that day. He also reported, "he was much less focused than he should have been."
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 in flight during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Mental/emotional state › Stress › Pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 75 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 51 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Bombardier-Rotax Gmbh 912 ULS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1N4 Woodbine NJ at 1:59 pm
- Destination: 1N4
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,073 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from WWD, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.