Piper PA-28-151 accident near Belmar, New Jersey, April 2, 2002
On April 2, 2002 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-151, registered N44636, was substantially damaged in an accident near Belmar, New Jersey (Allaire 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 runway alignment during landing. A factor in the accident was the winds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 2, 2002 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Belmar, New Jersey · Allaire · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-151 · all PA-28-151s on the register
- Registration
- N44636 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7415691
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After completing several solo cross-country flights during the day, the student pilot was preparing to land at his home airport. During the student's first landing attempt, he executed a go-around because he did not like his ground track, and felt that an airplane following him in the traffic pattern was too close. On the student's second attempt, he turned base leg and then final. On final, he configured the airplane with full flaps, slowed to approximately 65 knots of airspeed, and crabbed the airplane into the wind. On short final, the pilot applied left rudder to align the airplane with runway 14. When he flared the airplane, it floated for a moment before touching down on the centerline, about 500 feet from the approach end. Shortly afterwards, the airplane drifted off the centerline to the left, and exited the runway. The winds recorded at the airport were from 180 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 18 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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 66 hours in all; 66 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 8 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,556 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 15, 2002; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTN Baltimore MD at 7:17 pm
- Destination: BLM Belmar NJ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 14, 7,300 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 9:35 pm from BLM
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.