ERA26LA046

On November 17, 2025, about 1900 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172N, N6124D, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Palm Bay, Florida. The private pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated that the flight departed with full fuel tanks and after takeoff flew to Okeechobee County Airport (OBE), Okeechobee, Florida, where he performed one touch-and-go landing. He then departed to the north, switched the fuel selector to the right tank for between 5 and 15 minutes to balance the fuel consumed. He then switched the fuel selector to both, performed maneuvers, and then while flying about 2,800 ft mean sea level (msl) initiated a practice emergency descent. Prior to initiating the maneuver, he applied carburetor heat, then reduced the throttle to idle, and banked 45° to the left while descending at 120 knots. Upon reaching 1,500 ft msl, he added full power, but the engine rpm only increased from 800 to 1,100 and he heard the engine sputtering. The pilot pitched the airplane for an airspeed of 65 knots, verified that the mixture was full rich and the carburetor heat was on. He also checked the magnetos and tried to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. The pilot performed a forced landing to a road and after touchdown maneuvered the airplane to the right to avoid a car. During the landing roll the right wing collided with a traffic sign. The airplane veered to the right and came to rest in a ditch with the fuselage elevated in a nearly vertical position. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The wreckage was retained for examination to be performed following recovery.