Cessna 172 accident near North Hanover, New Jersey, February 26, 1988
On February 26, 1988 at about 10:05 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N738MX, was substantially damaged in an accident near North Hanover, New Jersey. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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 26, 1988 · about 10:05 pm local time
- Place
- North Hanover, New Jersey
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N738MX · no longer on the register · serial 17270094
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ENG LOST POWER WHILE THE ACFT WAS CIRCLING AT APRX 1500 FT AGL & THE OCCUPANTS WERE ENGAGED IN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A SWAMPY AREA. AN EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY. THE RIGHT TANK HAD AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF FUEL WHICH APPEARED TO BE MORE THAN USABLE FUEL; HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT WAS RESTING ON THE GROUND, RIGHT WING LOW. THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK CONTAINED A NOTE ABOUT FLYING WITH THE SELECTOR ON BOTH. IT STATED 'UNEQUAL FUEL FLOW FROM EACH TANK MAY OCCUR IF THE WINGS ARE NOT MAINTAINED EXACTLY LEVEL. RESULTING WING HEAVINESS CAN BE ALLEVIATED GRADUALLY BY TURNING THE SELECTOR VALVE HANDLE TO THE TANK IN THE 'HEAVY' WING.' THE ACFT HAD BEEN 'TOPPED' WITH FUEL PRIOR TO THE FLT & HAD FLOWN 3.5 HRS.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,650 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,550 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 29, 1988; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mistral Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: LDJ Linden NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.