ERA26LA342

On September 7, 2026, about 1059 central daylight time, a Cessna 172N airplane, N734NM, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Panama City, Florida. The student pilot and flight instructor were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that this was his second flight of the day in the accident airplane, and that there were no abnormalities experienced during the first flight. Prior to the accident flight, a preflight inspection and engine run-up were completed with no indication of any abnormalities. A normal takeoff was accomplished with the airplane accelerating normally to rotation speed. During initial climb, about 300 ft above ground level, both pilots observed a loss of engine power, despite the throttle and mixture controls being in the full forward position. The flight instructor continued that there was no smoke, vibration, or “catastrophic engine noise” coincident with the loss of power. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and executed an emergency forced landing, straight ahead, onto airport property. During the forced landing, the airplane’s right wing struck a runway approach light which resulted in substantial damage. The airplane was retained for further examination.