Cessna 172S accident near Naples, Florida, April 14, 2007
On April 14, 2007 at about 2:43 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N967SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Naples, Florida (Naples Municipal Airport). 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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing. A contributing factor to the accident was the runway marker sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 14, 2007 · about 2:43 pm local time
- Place
- Naples, Florida · Naples Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N967SP · no longer on the register · serial 172S8169
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane veered off the left side of the runway during landing and hit a runway marker sign. The pilot reported that the airplane touched down on runway 14 (5,000 feet by 100 feet, asphalt) with "left aileron in" and "slight" right rudder because winds were from approximately 110 degrees magnetic. After touchdown, she applied full engine power and additional right rudder because the airplane was not established on the runway centerline. The airplane veered to the left and the pilot "reduced power to idle and braked." The right main landing gear collided with a runway marker sign which caused the gear assembly to separate from the airplane. The left brake, nose wheel steering and rudder operation were tested and found to operate as designed.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 172 hours in all; 77 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 88 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,252 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Naples Air Center
The flight
- Departed from: APF Naples FL at 2:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,200 ft; scat at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from APF
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.
Other NTSB records under N967SP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.