- Date
- March 14, 1991, 15:42 local (21:42 UTC)
- Place
- Panama City, FL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N88FPCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910314005369A
- Case key
- 32833
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Carburetor icing due to improper use of carburetor heat by the pilot, resulting in a forced landing and ditching.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt departed VFR on a personal flt along the shoreline. No flt plan was filed. The plt/pax initiated a climb and the eng started to backfire. The plt took control of the airplane, applied full throttle, obtained best glide airspeed and initiated a forced landing on the beach. However, the landing was diverted to the ocean due to personnel on the beach. Witnesses stated they observed the airplane in maneuvers described as chandelles with sharp power reduction and 1/2 mile glide. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction. A review of icing probability charts indicated serious icing at glide power based on weather conditions at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N88FP
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17271460
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AP, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bay Aero Center, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Bay Aero Center, Inc.
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 23
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 955 total · 605 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Observed at
- PFN, 6 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.