Cessna 172S accident near Brooklyn, NY
On May 21, 2005, a Cessna 172S (airplane) was involved in an accident near Brooklyn, NY. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 21, 2005
- Place
- Brooklyn, NY
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · Airplane
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 40.572°N, 73.981°W
- NTSB ID
- 20050526X00678
Official records · IAD05FA067
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 21, 2005, at 1332 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172S, N778LP, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Brooklyn, New York. The certificated flight instructor and three passengers were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that departed the Linden Airport (LDJ) Linden, New Jersey, about 1324. No flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the operator of the flight school, the passengers booked the flight as a "discovery flight," which the school would advertise on the Internet at a discounted rate, to attract prospective flight students. Upon initial departure from LDJ, the flight instructor returned shortly thereafter, when one of the three female passengers felt ill and needed to disembark. He then had the airplane refueled, and a male passenger boarded. The airplane then departed towards Brooklyn, New York. Radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) showed a radar target, correlated to be the accident airplane, near LDJ. The target climbed to an altitude of approximately 500 feet msl while proceeding toward Coney Island at an average ground speed of 108 nautical miles per hour (knots), and below the class "B" airspace veil surrounding John F. Kennedy International Airport. The target disappeared from radar at 13:31:40 at 300 feet and a ground speed of 60 knots. Approximately 42 witnesses were interviewed by the New York City Police Department, descriptions varied between witness statements as to t
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent impact with terrain.
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Browse: New York · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
