Cessna 172L accident near Micanopy, Florida, August 18, 2026
On August 18, 2026 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1971 Cessna 172L, registered N3866Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Micanopy, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2026 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Micanopy, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L, built 1971 · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N3866Q · registry record · serial 17259966
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 18, 2026 at 1100 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172L, N3866Q, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Micanopy, Florida. The flight instructor and student pilot were uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that during the power recovery to a power off stall the student pilot was having trouble pushing the throttle back in during the recovery portion of the procedure. The flight instructor attempted to demonstrate the maneuver and when he attempted the power on recovery the movement of the throttle did not increase the engine power. When the throttle was pushed in it would forcibly push back out on its own. They ran through their checklist as they attempted to return to the runway. The engine continued to run at idle speed as they made a force landing to a dry lakebed. During the landing rollout the nose wheel traveled into a marshy area and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings. An inspection of the throttle control system is pending.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during maneuvering defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,619 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 3, 2026; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,840 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Ocala Aviation Services INC
The flight
- Departed from: KOCF Ocala FL at 2:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 am from KGNV, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KGNV 181453Z 31010KT 10SM CLR 32/24 A3008 RMK AO2 SLP180 T03170239 51008 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC26LA088.