Cessna 172S accident near Goodland, Florida, December 18, 2008
On December 18, 2008, a Cessna 172S, registered N967SP, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Goodland, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was the night light conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 18, 2008
- Place
- Goodland, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N967SP · no longer on the register · serial 172S8169
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed at night in visual meteorological conditions to work on night recurrence training and was flying in an area over water with limited visual references. Witnesses near the accident site reported hearing the sound of an airplane engine that increased in rpm. Some witnesses observed the airplane in a "nose-dive" toward the water. The airplane crashed into about 5 feet of water on a tidal mud-flat, about 16 miles south-southeast of the departure airport. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact malfunctions or anomalies. The pilot had accumulated about 820 hours of total flight experience and had flown about 20 hours during the 2 years preceding the accident. He did not possess an instrument rating. A law enforcement helicopter pilot who responded to the accident site reported that it was very dark and believed that lack of visual cues with the naked eye would have required navigation via aircraft instrumentation.
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 control in flight during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusio › Spatial disorientation › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 820 hours in all; 1 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 3, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,830 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 12, 2008; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming I0-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Naples Air Center
The flight
- Departed from: APF Naples FL at 11:30 pm
- Destination: APF Naples FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.