Cessna 150L accident near Matawan, New Jersey, May 25, 1996
On May 25, 1996 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 150L, registered N10439, was substantially damaged in an accident near Matawan, New Jersey (Marlboro 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the student pilot's improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing. The gusty wind condtion was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 1996 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Matawan, New Jersey · Marlboro
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150L · all 150Ls on the register
- Registration
- N10439 · registry record · serial 15074860
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot returned to Matawan from a solo cross-country flight, and attempted to land on runway 27. On the fourth landing attempt, the airplane touched down hard, bounced twice, and the nose gear collapsed. The student reported that the wind speed had increased by the time she had returned to Matawan. The wind at a nearby airport was reported to be from 140 degrees at 5 knots with gusts to 15 knots. No malfunction of the airplane was reported by the pilot.
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: 45 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,966 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 31, 1996; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ABE Allentown PA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: 2N8
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,156 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 5 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:14 pm from BLM, 13 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.
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 NYC96LA120.