Cessna 172D accident near Palm Beach, Florida, September 18, 2010
On September 18, 2010 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172D, registered N2483Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Palm Beach, Florida. It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to use carburetor heat which led to a loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2010 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Palm Beach, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172D · all 172Ds on the register
- Registration
- N2483Y · no longer on the register · serial 17249783
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While flying at an altitude of 1,200 feet, about 3/4-mile offshore, the pilot reported that the airplane's engine started to "sputter" before losing power. He verified the fuel selector and mixture settings and reported that the engine did not respond to his throttle control inputs. He could not recall if he had applied carburetor heat. He subsequently executed a forced landing to an unpopulated area of the beach, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage. A postaccident test run of the engine revealed no evidence of any mechanical anomalies. According to the Federal Aviation Administration icing probability chart, the airplane was operating in conditions conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power at the time of the accident. Without carburetor heat carburetor ice can form resulting in loss of power and possible engine roughness.
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 (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 750 hours in all; 745 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 750 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 11, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,049 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 9, 2010; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LNA Lantana FL
- Destination: BCT Boca Raton FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from PBI, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| 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.