ERA25LA288

On August 05, 2025, about 0820 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N1213F, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Pembroke Pines, Florida. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The airplane was operated as a title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that the purpose of the flight was to perform private pilot maneuvers. The airplane departed with 43 gallons of fuel aboard. About 20 minutes into the flight, after completing several maneuvers at 1,800 ft mean sea level, the engine began to exhibit a severe vibration and the student pilot transferred control of the airplane to the flight instructor. During attempts to correct the engine anomaly, the flight instructor felt something impact the engine firewall, after which the engine lost power completely. The flight instructor declared an emergency with air traffic control and performed a forced landing to a dirt road. During the landing roll, the airplane veered off the left side of the road, impacted terrain, and came to rest in a marsh area adjacent to the road. Postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed its fuselage and both wings were substantially damaged. The engine’s crankcase was also breached. The airplane was recovered and retained for further examination.