Cessna 172N accident near Wrightstown, New Jersey, February 7, 1982
On February 7, 1982 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N738QM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wrightstown, New Jersey (Mcguire Afb airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 7, 1982 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Wrightstown, New Jersey · Mcguire Afb
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N738QM · registry record · serial 17270155
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT RETURNED FROM A LOCAL FLIGHT WITH FOUR PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THE AIRCRAFT GROSS WEIGHT WAS NEAR THE MAXIMUM LIMIT AND THE CENTER OF GRAVITY WAS NEAR THE FORWARD LIMIT. THE PILOT ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 36. THE WIND WAS FROM 270 DEGREES AT 10 GUSTING 21 KTS. ON FINAL, THE PILOT HAD LOWERED THE FLAPS TO 20 DEGREES AND THE AIRSPEED WAS AT 60 KTS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT WHEN HE APPLIED LEFT AILERON AND RIGHT RUDDER TO CORRECT FOR THE DRIFT. AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 50 FT, A DECISION WAS MADE TO GO-AROUND. HE APPLIED FULL POWER AND TURNED THE CARBURETOR HEAT OFF. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PLANE SETTLEDTO 5 FT AGL AND THE SPEED INCREASED TO 80 KTS. THE FLAPS WERE RAISED, THE TRIM WAS NEUTRALIZED, AND THE PLANE DRIFTED RIGHT. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS UNABLE TO APPLY ENOUGH BACK PRESSURE TO PULL UP. THE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON AN INACTIVE RUNWAY, BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN, THEN TOUCHED DOWN NOSE FIRST AT THE EDGE OF THE RAMP.
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: 81 hours in all; 81 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 56 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,281 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mcguire A.F. Aero Club
The flight
- Departed from: Wrightstown NJ at 11:15 am
- Destination: Wrightstown NJ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 36, 7,155 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N738QM the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.