Cessna 172P accident near Newburgh, New York, August 2, 1989
On August 2, 1989 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N1983F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Newburgh, New York (Stewart Int. airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE DUAL STUDENT'S MISJUDGEMENT OF THE AIRPLANE'S ALTITUDE AND SPEED DURING THE FLARE FOR LANDING, AND THE IMPROPER USE OF POWER DURING THE FLARE. IN ADDITION, THE CFI FAILED TO ADEQUATELY SUPERVISE THE DUAL STUDENT'S ACTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 1989 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Newburgh, New York · Stewart Int. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N1983F · registry record · serial 17276134
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT FLARED TOO HIGH, DID NOT REDUCE THROTTLE, AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO BALLOON. BACK PRESSURE WAS APPLIED BY THE STUDENT AS THE AIRSPEED DECREASED, AND HE REDUCED THROTTLE TO THE IDLE POSITION STALLING THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED ABOUT 15 FT TO A THREE POINT LANDING.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,716 hours in all; 440 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 1,426 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HPN White Plains NY at 9:25 pm
- Destination: 5WF Stewart NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 6,006 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC89LA203.