Cessna 172S accident near Goodland, FL
On December 18, 2008, a Cessna 172S (airplane) was involved in an accident near Goodland, FL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 18, 2008
- Place
- Goodland, FL
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 25.909°N, 81.649°W
- NTSB ID
- 20081217X21653
Official records · ERA09FA092
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 17, 2008, about 1945 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172S, N967SP, was destroyed when it impacted water while maneuvering near Goodland, Florida. The certificated private pilot was killed. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight that departed Naples Municipal Airport (APF), Naples, Florida, about 1930. The personal flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The airplane was operated by Naples Air Center, a flight school, based at APF. A witness at the airport stated that the pilot told her he was going flying to work on night recurrency training. Several witnesses near the accident site reported hearing the sound of an airplane engine, which increased in rpm, and was then followed by a loud "bang" or "explosion." Two witnesses reported hearing the engine noise increase and observing the airplane in a "nose-dive" toward the ground. The airplane crashed into about 5 feet of water, on a tidal mud-flat, about 16 miles south-southeast of APF. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot, age 74, held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He did not possess an instrument rating. The pilot's logbook was not recovered. He reported 812 hours of total flight experience, which included 6.2 hours during the preceding 6 months, on his most recent application for a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate, which was issued on April 16, 2008. According to flight school records, the pilot had accumulated 16.5 flight
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was the night light conditions.
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Browse: Florida · 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.
