Piper PA-18A-150 accident near Cross Keys, New Jersey, May 2, 1999
On May 2, 1999 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18A-150, registered N6894B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cross Keys, New Jersey (Cross Keys airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Contributing to the accident was the gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 2, 1999 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cross Keys, New Jersey · Cross Keys
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18A-150 · all PA-18A-150s on the register
- Registration
- N6894B · no longer on the register · serial 1850887
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was contracted to perform a banner towing flight over a stadium. Strong gusty winds prevailed during the entire day and the pilot had made one previous flight earlier in the day with similar conditions. After returning to the airport of departure, and dropping the banner, he positioned the airplane on final approach for Runway 9. He had the airplane configured with one notch of flaps and was maintaining 80 mph, while the winds were from 100 degrees. At an altitude of about 150 feet, the right wing dropped. The pilot reported that he was unable to regain control of the airplane and the airplane contacted the ground in a right wing low attitude, about 50 feet short of the runway. The winds had been steady all day, and averaged 15 to 20 knots with gusts from 25 to 30 knots. The airplane has a stall speed of 43 mph with landing flaps and 47 mph with the flaps retracted.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,259 hours in all; 475 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 1,168 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,713 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 15, 1999; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C4P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 17N NJ at 5:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 3,500 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 18,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from PHL, 14 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.
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.