Cessna 172 accident near Andover, New Jersey, December 22, 1992
On December 22, 1992 at about 7:56 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N54102, was substantially damaged in an accident near Andover, New Jersey (Aeroflex-Andover 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 PILOT'S FAILURE TO ABORT THE LANDING WHICH RESULTED IN A OVERRUN OF THE RUNWAY. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE PILOT'S MISJUDGEMENT OF DISTANCE AND AN IMPROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 22, 1992 · about 7:56 pm local time
- Place
- Andover, New Jersey · Aeroflex-Andover
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N54102 · registry record · serial 2072436
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. HE WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 03. HE SAID, 'JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN A GUSTING TAILWIND CAUSED THE...PLANE TO FLOAT ABOVE THE...RUNWAY...I WAS ABLE TO TOUCHDOWN WITH APPROXIMATELY TWO THIRDS OF THE RUNWAY AVAILABLE...APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY I POWERED UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO GO-AROUND. IT WAS TOO LATE [AND] THE PLANE [STRUCK] THE WATER.'
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: student
- Flight time: 74 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 21 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,881 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 6, 1992; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,220 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Lincoln Park Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: N07 Lincoln Park NJ at 7:15 pm
- Destination: 3N5 Newton NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 1,994 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.