Cessna 172P accident near West Milford, New Jersey, August 7, 1998
On August 7, 1998, a Cessna 172P, registered N116FR, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Milford, New Jersey (Greenwood Lake airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing and the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 1998
- Place
- West Milford, New Jersey · Greenwood Lake
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N116FR · registry record · serial 17276517
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing on runway 24, the 30-hour student pilot (SP) touched down and the airplane bounced towards the right side of the runway. The SP then initiated a go-around and added right rudder and full right aileron. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and was unable to gain altitude before the airplane struck a metal fence post located about 100 feet to the right of the runway. The SP said, '...for unknown reason the airplane didn't reply to the controls as if something was holding it and prevented its climb...' Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact abnormalities of the airframe or engine. It was noted that the flaps were observed in the zero degree position. Winds reported at a nearby airport were from 180 degrees at 6 knots.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days; 110 in the last 30 days; 1,600 as pilot in command; 810 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-025 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sparta Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: TEB Teterboro NY at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 4,000 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from CDW, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 NYC98LA163.