# NTSB ERA25LA261: Cessna 172H, N3254C, Century, FL, July 9, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: July 9, 2025, 18:20 local (10:20 UTC)
- Place: Century, FL · Peanut Field
- Location: 30.9773° N, 87.2647° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Century, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- NTSB coordinates: 30, -87 (estimated), outside the stated state
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.9773&lon=-87.2647&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Emergency descent](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/600) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Emergency descent: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 200503
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA25LA261
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200503/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA261

## Preliminary report

On July 9, 2025, about 1820 central daylight time, a Cessna 172, N3254C, was involved in an accident near Century, Florida. The pilot and the passenger were not injured. The flight was conducted as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot departed the Atmore Municipal Airport (0R1), Atmore, Alabama, about 1800 for a local flight. About 20 minutes later, while cruising at 1,500 ft mean sea level (msl), the engine suddenly stopped producing power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and made a forced landing to a peanut field. When the airplane touched down, it nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The airplane was recovered from the accident site and retained for further examination.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Emergency descent: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172H, 13 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2072424), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N3254C](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3254C), registered now, S/N 17256156, built 1967 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172H
- Registry model: [Cessna 172H](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172h) (registry code 2072424) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental 0-300 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (registry code 17022, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 17256156
- Year built: 1967
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility
- Last inspection: Annual, April 14, 2025
- Departed: 0R1, Atmore, AL
- Airport: N/A
- Equipment: ADS-B

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observed at: KNSE, 29 nm away
- METAR: KNSE 092356Z 24008KT 10SM SCT050 SCT100 BKN250 31/23 A3002

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20250709009369A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250709009369A), Jul 9, 2025: Cessna 172H, Century, FL, Substantial damage. Aircraft suffered power loss due to fuel exhaustion. Pilot tried to switch fuel tanks but due to low altitude was unable to restart engine. Pilot dedcided to…

## Other investigations on N3254C (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 ATL95LA157](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL95LA157), Aug 12, 1995: Cessna 172H (N3254C), Manteo, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper in-flight decision to touchdown at the mid-field point of the runway.

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.

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