Cessna 175 accident near Bunnell, Florida, March 31, 2007
On March 31, 2007 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 175, registered N8092T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bunnell, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power during cruise due to the separation of an engine piston, which resulted in a forced landing in a swamp and a collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 2007 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bunnell, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N8092T · registry record · serial 17556792
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo commercial pilot was on a cross-country personal flight operated under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The pilot reported that while in cruise flight about 2,500 feet above the ground, the engine began to run rough and lose power. Black smoke began coming from within the engine compartment, followed by a severe engine vibration, and then a complete loss of engine power. The pilot selected an open swampy area as an emergency landing area. During the emergency landing, the airplane's nose wheel collided with a large stump, and the wings collided with a stand of trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. After recovery, an FAA airworthiness inspector examined the airplane. The FAA inspector reported a hole in the crankcase adjacent to the number one cylinder. He said that he found the number one piston assembly in the oil sump, and that the number one piston wristpin remained attached to the connecting rod. He said that portions of the engine crankshaft assembly were broken, and he noted a significant amount of rotational scoring in the internal portions of the engine.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,100 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: April 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,640 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A-335B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X47 Bunnell FL at 5:25 pm
- Destination: 7FL4 Green Cove Spri FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from DAB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.