Cessna 172F accident near Stuart, Florida, December 31, 2002
On December 31, 2002 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172F, registered N5338R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stuart, Florida (Naked Lady Ranch (Pvt) airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inflight encounter with wind shear on final approach, which resulted in an inflight loss of control and subequent uncontrolled descent into trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 2002 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Stuart, Florida · Naked Lady Ranch (Pvt) · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N5338R · no longer on the register · serial 17252865
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot conducted a visual approach to runway 18. The flight instructor stated a wind shear or gust condition was encountered about 25 feet above the ground over the runway, and the airplane rapidly lost airspeed and sank suddenly. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and added full power. The airplane continued to sink, and the flight instructor stated the left wing was pushed down. The airplane banked left and struck trees about 10 to 20 feet off the side of the runway. The flight instructor reported no mechanical malfunction or failure.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 800 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 600 as pilot in command; 90 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 20, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Crew member
No details recorded.
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 17, 2002; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DAB Daytona Beach FL at 1:30 pm
- Destination: 64X Stuart FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,300 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 17 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 8:48 pm from SUA, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.