# Accident 20020105001639A: Cessna 172P, Tampa, FL, January 5, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 5, 2002, 17:03 local time - Place: Tampa, FL - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Normal Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 27.9164° N, 82.6903° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.9164&lon=-82.6903&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2371N, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2371N-2002-05-02) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172R (registry code 2072401, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172r) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 SER A&C (registry code 41511, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-ser-a-c) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172P - Reported engine: LYC IO360L2A - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Student - Pilot flight hours: 17 total, 17 in this make and model, 4 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL02FA032](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL02FA032) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020105001639A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON JANUARY 5, 2002, AT 1703 EDT, A CESSNA 172P, N2371N REGISTERED TO NATIONAL AVIATION HOLDING INC., CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, AND WAS FLOWN WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW INTO DOWNTOWN TAMPA AREA AND INTENTIONALLY IMPACTED THE BANK OF AMERICAL BUILDING AT THE 28TH AND 29TH FLOOR. FLIGHT LASTED APPROXIMATELY 12 MINUTES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT TIME OF ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT ST. PETERSBURG/CLEARWATER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (PIE), CLEARWATER, FLORIDA. TOT (.19) ON JANUARY 5, 2002 AT 1703 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172R, N2371N, COLLIDED IN-FLIGHT WITH THE BANK OF AMERICA BANK BUILDING IN TAMPA, FLORIDA. THE UNAUTHORIZED FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY A STUDENT PILOT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE STUDENT PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, AT 1651. ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT PILOT'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, THE STUDENT WAS INSTRUCTED TO PREFLIGHT THE AIRPLANE AND WAIT FOR THE INSTRUCTOR TO B EGIN HIS FLIGHT TRAINING. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE STUDENT PILOT PROCEEDED TO THE AIRPLANE, REMOVED THE TIE DOWNS, STARTED THE AIRPLANE, AND IMMEDIATELY TAXIED TO RUNWAY 35R, AND TOOK OFF WITHOUT COMMUNICATING WITH THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER. THE CONTROLLERS STATED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF THE AIRPLANE TURNED RIGHT TO THE SOUTHEAST, AND DID NOT HAVE ITS TRANSPONDER ON. THE TOWER CONTROLLERS NOTIFIED TAMPA APPROACH AND A COAST GUARD HELICOPTER FLYING IN THE LOCAL. THE COAST GUARD HELICOPTER WAS ASKED TO INTERCEPT THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE PROCEEDED TO MC DILL AIR FORCE BASE, OVER FLYING THE CONTROL TOWER, TWO AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY, AND THREE HANGARS BEFORE PROCEEDING TO THE BANK OF AMERICA BUILDING. WHILE ENROUTE TO THE BANK OF AMERICA BUILDING THE COAST GUARD HELICOPTER INTERCEPTED THE AIRPLANE AND ATTEMPTED TO GET THE PILOT TO LAND. ACCORDING TO THE COAST GUARD HELICOPTER PILOTS, THEY BELIEVED THE STUDENT PILOT SAW THEIR HAND GESTURES AND GESTURED BACK, HOWEVER, THE COAST GUARD PILOTS COULD NOT DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF GESTURES THE STUDENT PILOT WAS MAKING. SHORTLY THERE AFTER, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE BANK BUILDING IMBEDDING ITSELF INTO THE 28TH FLOOR. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE FOUND THAT BOTH WINGS HAD SEPARATED ON IMPACT AND THE EMPENNAGE WAS FOUND PROTRUDING FROM THE BUILDING. FIRE FIGHTERS SECURED THE AIRPLANE WITH CABLES AND CUT THE AIRPLANE INTO SECTIONS SUBSEQUENTLY REMOVING IT FROM INSIDE THE BUILDING THROUGH THE FREIGHT ELEVATORS. THE AIRPLANE WAS TRANSPORTED TO A HANGAR AT THE PETER O. KNIGHT AIRPORT FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. (.4) HISTORY OF FLIGHT: ON JANUARY 5, 2002, AT 1703 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 172R, N2371N, REGISTERED TO NATIONAL AVIATION HOLDINGS, INC., AND OPERATED BY A STUDENT PILOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMMITTING SUICIDE, COLLIDED IN-FLIGHT WITH THE BANK OF AMERICA BANK BUILDING IN TAMPA, FLORIDA. THE UNAUTHORIZED FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISION OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE STUDENT PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, AT 1651. ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT PILOT'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, THE STUDENT WAS INSTRUCTED TO PREFLIGHT THE AIRPLANE AND WAIT ON THE INSTRUCTOR BEFORE BEGINNING HIS FLIGHT TRAINING. WITN ESSES STATED THAT THE STUDENT PILOT PROCEEDED TO THE AIRPLANE, REMOVED THE TIE DOWNS, STARTED THE AIRPLANE, AND IMMEDIATELY TAXIED TO RUNWAY 35R, AND TOOK OFF WITHOUT COMMUNICATING WITH THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER. THE CONTROLLERS STATED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF THE AIRPLANE TURNED RIGHT TO THE SOUTHEAST. THE TOWER CONTROLLERS NOTIFIED TAMPA APPROACH AND A COAST GUARD HELICOPTER FLYING IN THE LOCAL AREA. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTROLLERS ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE PILOT VIA RADIO FREQUENCY 121.5, BUT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE COAST GUARD HELICOPTER WAS ASKED TO INTERCEPT THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE PROCEEDED TO MC DILL AIR FORCE BASE, OVER FLYING THE CONTROL TOWER BY JUST A FEW FEET, OVER FLEW TWO AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY, AND THREE HANGARS ON THE BASE BEFORE PROCEEDING TO THE BANK OF AMERICA BUILDING. WHILE ENROUTE TO THE BANK OF AMERICA BUILDING THE COAST GUARD HELICOPTER INTERCEPTED THE AIRPLANE AND ATTEMPTED TO GET THE PILOT TO LAND. ACCORDING TO THE COAST GUARD HELICOPTER PILOTS, THEY BELIEVED THE STUDENT PILOT SAW THEIR HAND GESTURES AND GESTURED BACK, HOWEVER, THE COAST GUARD PILOTS COULD NOT DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF GESTURES THE STUDENT PILOT WAS MAKING. SHORTLY THERE AFTER, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE BANK BUILDING IMBEDDING ITSELF INTO THE 28TH FLOOR. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ATL02FA032](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL02FA032), Jan 5, 2002: Cessna 172R (N2371N), Tampa, FL, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's unauthorized use of an aircraft for the purpose of commiting suicide. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.