Sukhoi SU-29 accident near Williamstown, New Jersey, October 11, 1997
On October 11, 1997 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Sukhoi SU-29, registered N929CB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Williamstown, New Jersey (Southern Cross Airport). It was a personal 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 pilot misjudged his altitude and airspeed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 1997 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Williamstown, New Jersey · Southern Cross Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sukhoi SU-29 · all SU-29s on the register
- Registration
- N929CB · registry record · serial 76-05
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane touched down on the 2,400 foot turf runway at a point approximately 1,400 feet beyond the approach end. The airplane overran the runway and came to rest in a tree line. The pilot said, 'We screwed up...landed a little too fast and a little too long.' The airplane was certificated with treadless tires. The pilot reported the accident could have been avoided by checking the '...condition of a grass runway in reference to dryness of grass when landing with aircraft with certified bald tires, touchdown sooner, [and] leave more rollout space.'
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,967 hours in all; 220 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 305 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 11, 1997; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,655 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Vendeneyev M14P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1N4 Woodbine NJ at 8:00 pm
- Destination: CO1
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,400 ft by 250 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from MIV, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.