Cessna 172H accident near Archer, Florida, April 16, 2010
On April 16, 2010 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172H, registered N8112L, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Archer, Florida (Flying Ten Airport). 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 adequate airspeed for undetermined reasons while maneuvering in the vicinity of an airport, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 2010 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Archer, Florida · Flying Ten Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172H · all 172Hs on the register
- Registration
- N8112L · no longer on the register · serial 17256312
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was discovered in the wreckage of his airplane, one-quarter mile east of the destination airport, an estimated one hour after the accident. Before he was transported to the hospital, where he died of his injuries, he told a police detective that he did not recall the accident. A review of photographs and satellite images revealed that the pasture where the airplane came to rest was adjacent, and parallel to, the turf runway at the destination airport. The initial ground scar in the field was abeam the approach end of the runway. It could not be determined if the pilot mistook the field site for the airport, or if he attempted a forced landing there, but the dimensions and the surface conditions of the field site could have supported a normal landing. Deformation of the airframe and flight controls were consistent with a 35-degree, nose-low, high-energy impact consistent with a stall. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of mechanical anomalies.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 400 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,263 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor 0-300 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FD50 Live Oak FL at 7:30 pm
- Destination: 0J8 Archer FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,200 ft by 170 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from GNV, 13 miles away
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.
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.