- Date
- January 8, 1996, 14:07 local (19:07 UTC)
- Place
- Lantana, FL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N800PBCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960108000309A
- Case key
- 37968
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
Loss of engine power for an undetermined reason, while over water, which resulted in a forced landing/ditching at sea.
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 pilot was on an overwater flight from the Bahama Islands to West Palm Beach, Florida. He stated that the engine lost power, and he could not get the airplane to glide to land. He ditched the airplane in the ocean about 1 mile from land. He and the passenger were rescued by the Coast Guard. The airplane sank and was not recovered.
Factual narrative
On January 8, 1996, about 1407 eastern standard time, N800PB, a Cessna 172N, ditched in the water 1 mile from the shore of Lantana, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was filed for the flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot and passenger reported minor injuries. The flight originated from Mosstown, Bahamas, about 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.
The pilot radioed controllers on duty at West Palm Beach, Florida, that he had experienced a loss of power and he could not glide to land. The pilot ditched the airplane and the United States Coast Guard rescued the pilot and passenger. The airplane sank and has not been recovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N800PB
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172-69519
- Airframe hours
- 8,055
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pb Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 11, 1995 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- MYEF · Mosstown, OF
- Destination
- PBI · West Palm Beach, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 69
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,250 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 2,200 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 19 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PBI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.