Cessna 180B accident near East Moriches, New York, September 28, 1994
On September 28, 1994 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Cessna 180B, registered N5112E, was involved in an accident near East Moriches, New York (Spadaro 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 PEDESTRIAN TO STAY CLEAR OF THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. A FACTOR WAS NIGHT CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 1994 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- East Moriches, New York · Spadaro Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180B · all 180Bs on the register
- Registration
- N5112E · registry record · serial 18050412
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS ON A NIGHT FLIGHT, AND HE WAS JUST ABOUT TO LIFT OFF ON HIS TAKEOFF RUN WHEN AN OBJECT APPEARED TO THE RIGHT OF THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT. HE THEN APPLIED MAXIMUM BACK PRESSURE TO AVOID THE OBJECT. HE FELT A THUD ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT CONCENTRATED ON KEEPING THE AIRCRAFT AIRBORNE. HE CHECKED FLIGHT CONTROLS, ALL CHECKED OUT. HE THEN FLEW AROUND THE AIRPORT TO CHECK BUT DID NOT SEE ANYTHING ON THE RUNWAY SURFACE FOR THE OBJECT, SEEING NOTHING HE PROCEEDED ON TO THE DESTINATION. UPON ARRIVAL HE WAS NOTIFIED THAT IT WAS A PEDESTRIAN HE HAD STRUCK.
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; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,662 hours in all; 185 in this make and model; 69 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 6,280 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,484 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1994; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: ISP Islip NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 2,100 ft by 25 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°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.
Other NTSB records under N5112E 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.