N2651R – Cessna 172 – 2018-12-30 NTSB Accident Report

On December 30, 2018, a Cessna 172 (N2651R) was involved in an incident near Caldwell, NJ. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll.

The chief pilot of the flight school reported that, after the student pilot had performed two landings with the flight instructor, the flight instructor exited the airplane, and the student performed a solo flight around the pattern. After the full stop landing, the student added full power for another takeoff, but the airplane veered left. The student added rudder inputs to correct, but the airplane exited the runway, struck a berm, and the nose landing gear collapsed.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.

The chief pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA19CA106. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N2651R.