Cessna 172P accident near Teterboro, New Jersey, January 23, 1993
On January 23, 1993 at about 8:23 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N52491, was substantially damaged in an accident near Teterboro, New Jersey (Teterboro airport). It was a personal 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 FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING LANDING WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE DEPARTING THE RUNWAY AND NOSING OVER. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE CROSSWIND AND THE SOFT TERRAIN ENCOUNTERED BY THE AIRPLANE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 23, 1993 · about 8:23 pm local time
- Place
- Teterboro, New Jersey · Teterboro
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N52491 · no longer on the register · serial 17274539
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITH THE WINDS FROM 300 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A LANDING ON RUNWAY 1. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE CROSSWWIND, HE WENT AROUND AND WHEN ON FINAL FOR THE SECOND APPROACH HE WAS OFFERED RUNWAY 24. HE SAID HE WOULD CONTINUE HIS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 1; HOWEVER, AFTER TOUCHDOWN, HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND DEPARTED THE RUNWAY ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE NOSE WHEEL ENCOUNTERED A SOFT AREA, DUG IN, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER.
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: 120 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 80 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,157 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 21, 1993; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mac Dan Aviation
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:28 pm from TEB, 1 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N52491 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.