# NTSB ERA26LA046: Cessna 172, N6124D, Palm Bay, FL, November 18, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: November 17, 2025, 19:00 local (Nov 18, 2025, 00:00 UTC)
- Place: Palm Bay, FL · LANDED ON Babcock Street SE, hit road sign with right wing trying to avoid a car and went into ditch.
- Coordinates: 27.92372, -80.62286
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.9237&lon=-80.6229&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342)
- Highest injury: Minor injuries
- Injuries: 1 minor
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 202022
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA26LA046
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/202022/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA046

## Preliminary report

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.

## Sequence of events

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

- [Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 23 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md)
- [Landing-flare/touchdown: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 31 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna 172N, 134 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2072434), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N6124D](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6124D), registered now, S/N 17272608, built 1979 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172 (N)
- Registry model: [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (registry code 2072434) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 17272608
- Year built: 1979
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: Melbourne Flight Training
- Registered owner: Wegener Flying Services LLC
- Departed: OBE, Okeechobee, FL
- Destination: MLB, Melbourne, FL
- Equipment: Stall warning system, ADS-B

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night
- Wind: 50° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observed at: KMLB, 11 nm away
- METAR: METAR KMLB 172353Z 05003KT 10SM CLR 22/16 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP160 T02170161 10256 20206 53014

## 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 20251117019829A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20251117019829A), Nov 17, 2025: Cessna 172N, Palm Bay, FL, Substantial damage. Pilot states that he was doing an emergency descent or steep spiral when he had to put the power back in, with no power response, engine at 800 RPM. Full power…

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.

---
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.